Inspiring perseverance are words that can be used to describe Drayton resident Deb Bossert. She has faced obstacles like cancer and immune disorders to start a successful second business in her retirement.
Bossert grew up in Vernon, B.C., but has been part of Drayton this community since 1996. Over the years she has volunteered in many different areas, all with the mission of serving others. Some may recognize her name from her time on town council, others in the faith community will know her from various events she’s participated in. During her time on council she served on many different boards. Bossert was also a volunteer with Humans Helping Humans and currently sits on the board of Burden Bearers.
On top of that Bossert was also a business owner in Drayton Valley. The store Designs By Deb was a bridal boutique that she built from the ground up.
“I’ve been sewing since I was a young girl,” says Bossert, which she says is 45 years of sewing. She is the fourth generation seamstress in her family, and her oldest daughter is the fifth.
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However, life has not been smooth sailing for Bossert. About a year after her youngest daughter was born, Bossert separated from her husband and became a single mother. During that time she sometimes worked a full-time job, but she kept Designs by Deb running.
Designs By Deb was more than just a store for bridal wear. Bossert also offered sewing classes, altered clothing, and spent a fair amount of time repairing coveralls.
In 2009, after hearing encouragement from friends and community members, Bossert decided to run in a by-election for council. She went on to serve as a councillor until 2017.
In 2010, Bossert was diagnosed with aggressive bilateral breast cancer, which led to a double mastectomy as soon as the doctors could arrange it. Four years later, Bossert was diagnosed with a rare immune disorder called common variable immune deficiency.
“I didn’t expect to see 50,” she says and she’s grateful for the eight years she’s had since her diagnosis. “To have survived long enough to meet my grandchildren, and be involved in their lives, and to see where life has taken me has been amazing.”
She did not seek re-election in the municipal elections in 2017. She still worked as much as she could, though she was limited because of her health. However, she lost her job as a teacher for English as Second Language in 2020 when the pandemic hit.
“My health did take quite a decline that spring as well. I was told by my doctors that I needed to retire and just stay home,” says Bossert.
Bossert rarely goes out because her body does not produce antibodies and she has to take an immunoglobulin infusion to keep herself healthy and alive. Any illness she catches could result in hospitalization or death.
Corb Lund played the Eleanor Pickup Art Centre stage for a raucous sold-out audience Thursday evening.
The Hurtin’ Albertans acoustic duo backing Lund were Grant Siemans on guitar and Sean Burns playing upright bass About a quarter of the 224 capacity seats were purchased as VIP tickets. At 5PM, the three front rows were filled as a solo Corb Lund was greeted with cheers, sat on the edge of the stage, and began singing VIP favourites, telling backstories and conversing. After the warm and friendly performance, knowing their seats were reserved, VIPs ticket holders shopped for merch in the EPAC lobby or went for a meal and refreshment to a downtown restaurant.
Several VIP super-fans commented that it was well worth the premium to be up-close and personal with Lund.
EPAC’s doors remained open as rush seating meant coming early for a preferred perch. The merch table was double-staffed as demand was high for CDs and vinyl LPs, “It’s Better with Cows Around” hoodies and Lund album cover poster three-packs. Lots of stock meant no one was disappointed. Long before the 7:30 curtain it was rare to find two seats together, however. A group of five young men just arriving before the curtain were quickly ushered to the remaining seats.
With the theatre full, an excited ambiance and the clock ticking down to showtime, it was no surprise that when the house lights dimmed, introduction completed, and Corb Lund with the Hurtin’ Albertans appeared from stage right, pandemonium reigned.
Joyful hoots and hollers, cheers, yahoos and multiple long, wavering, high-pitched vocal trilling filled the auditorium. The band, looking fresh and ready despite being midway through a long tour of Europe/US started what was only their second performance of this acoustic set.
The show opened with two songs from Lund’s 2007 Horse Soldier Horse Soldier album. The opening bars of the title track were greeted with cheers of recognition and rewarded with loud applause as was “Especially A Paint”. The set list dipped into Lund’s deep catalogue from a long career: “May you Always have Cows Around” (Cabin Fever 2012), “Devil’s Best Dress” (Losin’ Lately Gambler 2009), “Truth Comes Out” (Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer 2006) and “The Cardplayers” ( El Viejo 2024).
A tribute to the late Ian Tyson included past collaborations and Tyson songs: “Someday Soon” (1964), “The Rodeo’s Over” (Hair in My Eyes…2005), and “La Primera” (Ian Tyson Lost Herd 1999). Many fan favourites peppered the performance. Prior to the intermission we were treated to “Hard on Equipment”, “This is My Prairie” , and “Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle”. After the break, Lund introduced his next two songs as “hillbilly music” which drew cheers of anticipation. “Family Reunion” brought out the banjo and it stayed out for “Truck Got Stuck”, “Rye Whisky, Rye Whisky” and “Time to Switch to Whisky” . The audience sang backup for both. They even performed a verse and chorus “a capella” after which Lund said “buy a t-shirt, cuz we bought too many, thanks and goodnight!” But the EPAC audience was not yet ready for their good times to end. After lengthy applause, hoots and hollers, and a prolonged chant of “Corb, Corb, Corb” finally earned them their encore: a Lund solo of “S Lazy H”. It’s a plaintive ballad chronicling a family’s loss of their sixth generation ranch. The lyrics, “I have lived with the sorrow/And I will die with the shame/For now the bank owns what’s left/Of the S Lazy H” clearly tugged at the audience’s hearts. When the Hurtin’ Albertans rejoined Lund onstage, cheers banished melancholy as “Five Dollar Bill” was warmly welcomed and earned another standing ovation fitting for a memorable evening of great melody, lyrics and artistry.
I talked with Corb Lund backstage shortly after the final song and asked him how his evening was.
“It was super fun! It’s a cool little theatre. I like it!…
We were just in Europe. I think they find cowboy stuff exotic. Europeans like that about us. I know about Alberta and our regional culture, so people here pick up on the subtleties more. It’s a little different here cause people know what I’m talking about. I grew up just outside of Taber/Cardston, so I’m pretty used to small town Alberta life.”
I asked him about the set. “It’s only the second night we’ve been doing this acoustic trio, but it’s been really fun. It’s kind of different from the big loud band. I like that too, but it’s been kind of neat because there’s a lot of space to play with. Like the guys, especially Grant (lead guitar), when he’s playing his acoustic instruments there’s so much space in the theatre for it to speak. This was a blast. Thanks for having us.”
Grant Siemans has been playing with Corb Lund for 21 years. Lund gave him props explaining that any instrument he (Epiphone guitar) and Sean Burns don’t play, Grant does! I asked Siemans to expand. He listed off what he used for this acoustic trio set. “The mandolin is a Gibson F5 that’s actually Corb’s. It’s about 10 years old. It sounds awesome! The resonator is a 1931 National. I got a steal of a deal with that one because somebody painted it brown in the 1940’s. Nobody wanted it, which was awesome! It looks baaad! The banjo; Epiphone gave us. It was a new model. I asked him about the unique guitar and playing style Siemans used for most of the evening’s performance. “That’s a Manouche guitar (gypsy jazz guitar), a Djanko Rhinehart style guitar. It was made by a Winnipeg luthier named Al Beardsell, Beardsell Guitars.” The acoustic trio has no drum kit, so Siemans played manouche guitar Le Pompe style and imitates the drum kit’s cymbals, keeping rhythm and also the chording of the melody. “I like the playing, practicing, learning. It’s not work for me.”
Pleasant duty, indeed. Especially for the night’s audience!
Changes to Rural Renewal Stream
Businesses will see some changes to the local Rural Renewal Stream program come into effect on November 13.
The program, offered through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, allows business owners to bring in skilled workers from outside of the province or country. It also allows business owners who employ staff on a Temporary Work Visa to endorse them for permanent residency through the program.
At the October 30 town council meeting, Kundiso Nyambirai, the growth services manager, explained that they had 300 applications that they were reviewing. Between March 2023 and August 2024, the Town had endorsed 200 of those applications for consideration to the Province.
Nyambirai explained that the Province has now put a system into place to make it easier to sort through the applications on their end.
The points based system gives a better idea of which applications are most likely to be considered or approved for those municipalities endorsing them. Nyambirai says his department is reviewing the applications to see which ones would have enough points to be considered by the Province.
However, the Province is limited in the number of applications that it can put through. There are more than 70 municipalities and districts participating in the program, and the Province only has 1,900 spots they can approve in 2024.
“We are over-subscribing,” says Nyambirai. “We are endorsing 200 plus people.”
In August, the Town decided to make some changes to the way that the program would work in the community. This included limiting the number of applications to 100 each year, while also limiting the number of applications a business can submit to five. Nyambirai also suggested that limiting applications to workers who already resided in the community could help to ensure that the Town does have housing available for these applicants.
Nyambirai says the Province is currently sorting through 1,000 applications to decide on the remaining spots for the year. Councillor Monika Sherriffs agreed that the Town is sending in a higher than average amount of endorsements, stating that if there are 1,000 being considered and Drayton Valley has sent in 200, then we would be sending in many more applications than other municipalities.
Councillor Amila Gammana disagreed, saying that he believed other communities are likely doing the same. He says the real question is how many of those endorsements are receiving approval from the Province.
Nyambirai says that the municipalities are not made aware of which endorsements are approved. He says that looking into that number by contacting applicants would be very time consuming, so they cannot be sure how many of Drayton Valley’s businesses’ applications have been accepted for the program.
Five creative ways to use print advertising to supercharge your business
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In the age where there’s a constant drive for more and more content, coming up with ideas of how to promote your business can become a full time job on its own. I mean – you signed up to be a business owner right? Not a videographer, copywriter, or graphic designer. The good news is print advertising works differently from the social platforms that have you constantly chasing the next batch of likes and shares.
Print advertising with your local newspaper gets you off the hamster wheel and connects you with a copywriter, graphic designer, and an ad planner who are actually interested in learning the ins and outs of your business. This person or people will work with you to generate creative ideas within your marketing budget. With their help you can get your creative juices flowing again and find ways to not just push content but to craft creative content that will be seen and prompts action.
Print ads are consumed like fine wine. Readers look at print ads longer and deeper than they do the disruptive advertising found on other media platforms. Tell me in the last time that you’ve binge scrolled your social media feeds – How many ads do you actually remember seeing? I am betting, not many.
Print ads are non-disruptive content for newspaper readers and therefore get the attention they truly deserve. They have a longer lasting impact for readers, and after all, deepening the relationship with customers is really what you are looking to do.
So here are some ways you can position your local business with print advertising.
- Thought leadership: Be a thought leader in the regional landscape of your industry. Use an ad space for how-to content, data presentation on regional trends. Newspaper readers are readers and so are more likely to read long form advertisements with interesting information. You can reuse this information on your website blogs, social platforms, podcasts and the like.
- Be action oriented: Ads are there to move the needle forward. A call to action can be as simple as moving an interested person from the print ad to “Check out our online store” – print to digital is easy to do in both the print and digital formats of your local newspaper. Using click through options and QR codes to specific URLs makes the cross over from print to digital platforms seamless.
- Event marketing: Discovering local events in the community newspaper is one of the top interest points for local readers. But don’t just churn out a generic “Come to our event”. Remember our readers enjoy spending time with the paper. Capitalize on that. When you advertise an event in the newspaper you have an opportunity to make an intimate connection so don’t treat it like a fly by night ad. Make it engaging, personal, and relevant.
- Coupons and promotions: If you are a retailer or a restaurant that has deals and promotions, newspaper readers take notice! Not only does the use of coupons help you track the effectiveness of your ad it also gets people in the door where you can start to deepen your client relationship.
- Minimize or maximize. When people book a print ad they tend to want to throw everything into it. This creates a cluttered, hard to read ad. Instead take the space to promote your one product or service that tends to get people in the door, then cross promote once you are in contact with your prospective client. Alternatively you can also use the space to create an organized product catalogue, or flier page that showcases a number of products but in an organized and thematic fashion.
By contacting your local newspaper you don’t just get an ad, you expand your marketing team exponentially. You get access to our professionals and we help you to figure out the direction you are looking to go with your business.
Hard work and heritage reflected in 4-H
One local youth has seen his hard work with 4-H pay off after being selected as one of 12 youth to show their steers at the 2025 Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic.
Hunter Harris is a third generation 4-H member and has been part of the organization since he was 12 years old. Not only does he show cattle for 4-H, he’s also been entering open shows for the past two years. He says showing cattle is just a natural extension of his life as the son and grandson of farmers.
“I think it’s really important to know where your food comes from and I really enjoy showing,” says Harris. He says he also feels like he’s staying true to his heritage working in agriculture, which he is something he is proud of and wants to continue doing.
As an ambassador, Harris got his choice of steer from the OH Ranch this month. At the next Calgary Stampede, he will bring that steer back to show in the Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic under a special category for OH Beef.
He says being chosen as an ambassador is an honour and he’s excited to use the opportunity to help educate people about the importance of the industry.
“I think it means putting myself out there and trying to put out a positive image for both the Calgary Stampede and the beef industry as a whole,” says Harris. “As an ambassador, I feel I have the responsibility to try and promote the show world, the beef industry, and this way of life as much as I can.”
Beef showing a competitive sport
He says there is a lot of work that goes into showing and that he considers it a competitive sport, no different than horse showing or dog showing. Each year, Harris works with the steer or heifer he’s chosen. He’s responsible for feeding it, grooming it, and training it, which means spending time with it nearly every day for more than half a year.
“You’ve got to put in a ton of time. You have to be able to halter break it and get it tame,” says Harris. “There’s a process of training it to stand a certain way, how to respond to certain cues when you’re pulling on their halter, and how they should lead and behave in the show ring.”
It’s also important to put time into research about the proper feed for the steer. Harris says the type of food they are fed will greatly impact the standing in competition as well as the sale of the steer for butcher. He says there is a certain balance between fat and muscle that needs to be kept to make good meat.
At the show, all of the cattle get a fitting from the competitors to make sure they look their best when in the ring.
“It’s kind of like hairstyling, but for cows, in a sense,” he says.
Fitting involves cleaning the cow, blow drying them, clipping them, brushing tufts and styling them in certain ways to make the cow look its best in the show.
“It kind of brings out the best traits in them so they look like a better market animal,” he says.
Harris says he plans to attend more open shows this year and hopefully have the opportunity to help educate people about the industry. In the past, he’s spoken with young spectators at events who come up to see his cow and shared a little bit about the importance of the event.
“I just wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves and that they learned something,” says Harris. “The ladies that were showing [the children] around were learning stuff, too. I think it’s really important to try and connect with everyone on all levels and tell them what an amazing sport it is and how important it is.”
He says that sometimes it can be sad to see the cow go after working with it for so long. But Harris says it’s important for him to remember why he is doing it in the first place, and that families will be fed well because of his efforts.
While Harris is still contemplating what the future could hold for himself in terms of a career, he’s pretty certain that he will likely end up working with cattle and in the agriculture industry. He’s already been working on building up his own herd with his time and money, and a little bit of help from his family. He feels that this will give him a headstart in life and also makes a good choice as an ambassador.
“My parents have been extremely supportive of it, and they’ve helped me out a ton,” he says.
Harris believes his experience in working with his herd makes him more knowledgeable about the industry. He’s been learning about the traditions and the work that goes into maintaining a herd, including breeding, feeding, and the general well-being of the animals.
“I think that makes me a better showman and in a better position to be an ambassador,” he says.
Those who wish to know how Harris’ steer holds up to the other 11 ambassadors will have to wait until the July 2025 Calgary Stampede or hope to catch him at one of the several shows he plans to attend.
Volleyball comes home to Tomahawk
Tomahawk to receive a $1 million dollar upgrade
For the first time ever, the Tomahawk School volleyball team was able to host a home game thanks to their new gym.
Tracey Gilmour, the new principal for the school, says the new gym was a $1 million project. It was started last May and was finally finished on October 16, hours before their opening game.
“They were bringing the scissor lift out as we brought in the net,” says Gilmour.
The Timberwolves went on to win their first home game against the Muir Lake Mustangs.
“They were a little bit worried that actually performing at home would put some pressure on them,” says Gilmour. “But they did great.”
“I was very nervous and excited at the same time,” says Layla Chausse, one of the Timberwolves.
Team practice was a challenge in the past
While the school has always had team sports, Gilmour says it’s been a challenge for the teams to practice, and they’ve never been able to host a game before. The size of the gym wasn’t necessarily the problem. The issue was a large stage that took up about a third of the space in the room.
Gilmour says the stage made it difficult for the students to play any type of sports in the gym. She says small games could work, but a full sized game wasn’t possible.
The previous principal, Fran Bell, really advocated for the students saying they should have equal opportunities to access sports and extracurriculars.
“Parkland School Division stepped up and made that investment in our school,” says Gilmour.
After years of playing away games, the team was happy to finally get to play on their home turf.
“It was really nice to play in the gym for the first time,” says Josie Woodruff, one of the players. “We’re especially grateful to be able to play a home game.” She says their team has never had the opportunity to play in a new gym before.
The fact that they were the very first people to use the gym was something the team enjoyed, as well.
Strocher says winning is just icing on the cake
“We were really excited to have our first home game and be the first ones to play in that gym,” says Isabelle Strocher. She says winning that first game was just icing on the cake.
Up until the home opener, the girls had been practicing outside on a paved area near the school. Gilmour says it hasn’t been easy for the team, but they persevered, and had won every single game going into the home opener.
“Honestly, I think what got them through was their amazing team spirit,” says Gilmour. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re so supportive of each other.”
That team spirit has helped the Timberwolves make it into the playoffs this year.
“We’ve finished our placement games,” says Judith Munch. “Now we just have playoffs, and we’re hoping to host one, too.”
Meeting calls for change in town
Members of business community voice concerns over local issues
Some local businesses gathered last week to voice concerns, propose possible solutions, and brainstorm a presentation to put before town council.
Erik Bergen, one of the owners of the Drayton Valley Bakery, held a meeting on October 9 and invited all businesses in the community to come out. Bergen wanted to hear their thoughts on three specific topics: homelessness, essential service administration and the Town’s free enterprise policy.
Bergen says the idea about having a presentation has been on his mind for several months. He says he’s spoken to many business owners who feel frustrated with the Town and the direction council is taking. However, he says he felt that if everybody only talked about it and no one went to the town, nothing would get accomplished.
Along with business owners, the organizers of Warming Hearts and members of the public attended the event.
Homelessness and franchises stir debate
Bergen prepared a presentation for the event, and reviewed it several times as people came and went as they were able. He also had a petition available for attendees to sign.
As he went over his presentation, Bergen says it was difficult to focus on the problems and solutions rather than opinions.
“It did derail a little bit, just because of the opposite points of view, especially regarding the homeless,” he says.
There were some attendees who viewed the homeless issue from a more humanitarian point of view and others that felt a heavier hand was needed. But Bergen says it’s important to
remember that not all homeless people are causing the issue. There are some individuals who are making it difficult for everyone.
“I don’t want to group all people into one basket,” says Bergen. “There are people who are homeless because their house burned down or were dealt a bad hand.”
Another topic that brought up differing opinions was new franchises coming into the community. In his presentation, Bergen argued that by simply leaving the door open for any new businesses in the community, council was putting a strain on businesses that were already established.
According to Bergen, there is about one restaurant (or registered kitchen) for every 95 people in the community. There are more than eight liquor stores and six cannabis stores, 12 pizza places and more than one of some franchises.
He believes that a lack of direction from council in this matter is making it difficult for businesses to do well. Bergen says his concern is protecting the current businesses that the town already has in place and allow them to flourish.
“A lot of these restaurant owners say that they’re one franchise away from closing their doors,” says Bergen.
Town services and the need for improvement
Bergen says that many people have also noticed a disparity in the services the Town offers the community. For example, there are a number of different “nice” things the Town has spent money on like the pumptrack, disc golf, the pool etc. However, there are some struggles with providing basic services such as regular road maintenance, weed control and pest management.
“Maybe they are doing the best they can do, or maybe they got pushed to the back burner,” says Bergen.
He says that he got a lot of feedback from those who attended the meeting. As it was his first time attempting anything like this, there was a learning curve and Bergen says he’s looking forward to making improvements at another meeting that will be held at the beginning of November.
Bergen’s plan is to present a list of complaints with possible solutions to council in November.
“I don’t like to dwell on the limitations of my medical condition. I’ve learned to be very content and very happy at home,” she says.
When the pandemic broke out, Bossert hardly left the house. Determined not to give in to the loneliness and depression that can come with long-term self-isolation, Bossert turned to painting and calligraphy as an outlet.
Bossert says in many ways she’s reinvented herself over the years. “From administrator to town councillor to teacher and to script and copy editor and calligrapher and artist, and now I’ve come back to my sewing.”
She says she was surprised to realize she had any talent as an artist, because she had never done it efore. By selling the water colour cards she was making, Bossert was able to bring in a little money, but nothing major.
It wasn’t until one of her friends, who became a partner in her new business venture, requested a favour from Bossert that she was able to bring in full-time income.
In mid-October 2021, Bossert’s friend came to her with a request for a riding skirt. Her friend had one, but wanted another, and Bossert was happy to help. She first made a prototype to ensure she got it right, and then she built her friend’s skirt.
At the Home Expo at the MacKenzie Centre in late November, Bossert displayed the skirts she had made. From there her business has exploded.
“It just went crazy from there. Within the first month we had 26 orders,” says Bossert.
Since December, when Bossert first started pursuing this new niche market of historical equestrian wear, she has had almost 60 orders. These have been delivered to 14 states in America, and one was purchased by someone from Switzerland via a sibling in Canada.
“Only about ten percent of my clients are from Alberta,” she says.
She says word has spread through social media, and she hasn’t had to do any advertising. If she posts a picture of a new product, she says she gets even more orders. To allow her to catch up, Bossert says she’s been radio silent on social media for a couple of weeks.
“As soon as I launch stuff, then boom, I get even more orders,” says Bossert.
While the business is a success, it’s been a lot of work in a short period of time. After 30 years, she has decided to retire Designs By Deb, and has now rebranded her business as The Creative Daughter. This has meant ordering new signs, creating a logo, new labels for her products, and finding the space to make it all happen.
Corb Lund played the Eleanor Pickup Art Centre stage for a raucous sold-out audience Thursday evening.
The Hurtin’ Albertans acoustic duo backing Lund were Grant Siemans on guitar and Sean Burns playing upright bass About a quarter of the 224 capacity seats were purchased as VIP tickets. At 5PM, the three front rows were filled as a solo Corb Lund was greeted with cheers, sat on the edge of the stage, and began singing VIP favourites, telling backstories and conversing. After the warm and friendly performance, knowing their seats were reserved, VIPs ticket holders shopped for merch in the EPAC lobby or went for a meal and refreshment to a downtown restaurant.
Several VIP super-fans commented that it was well worth the premium to be up-close and personal with Lund.
EPAC’s doors remained open as rush seating meant coming early for a preferred perch. The merch table was double-staffed as demand was high for CDs and vinyl LPs, “It’s Better with Cows Around” hoodies and Lund album cover poster three-packs. Lots of stock meant no one was disappointed. Long before the 7:30 curtain it was rare to find two seats together, however. A group of five young men just arriving before the curtain were quickly ushered to the remaining seats.
With the theatre full, an excited ambiance and the clock ticking down to showtime, it was no surprise that when the house lights dimmed, introduction completed, and Corb Lund with the Hurtin’ Albertans appeared from stage right, pandemonium reigned.
Joyful hoots and hollers, cheers, yahoos and multiple long, wavering, high-pitched vocal trilling filled the auditorium. The band, looking fresh and ready despite being midway through a long tour of Europe/US started what was only their second performance of this acoustic set.
The show opened with two songs from Lund’s 2007 Horse Soldier Horse Soldier album. The opening bars of the title track were greeted with cheers of recognition and rewarded with loud applause as was “Especially A Paint”. The set list dipped into Lund’s deep catalogue from a long career: “May you Always have Cows Around” (Cabin Fever 2012), “Devil’s Best Dress” (Losin’ Lately Gambler 2009), “Truth Comes Out” (Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer 2006) and “The Cardplayers” ( El Viejo 2024).
A tribute to the late Ian Tyson included past collaborations and Tyson songs: “Someday Soon” (1964), “The Rodeo’s Over” (Hair in My Eyes…2005), and “La Primera” (Ian Tyson Lost Herd 1999). Many fan favourites peppered the performance. Prior to the intermission we were treated to “Hard on Equipment”, “This is My Prairie” , and “Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle”. After the break, Lund introduced his next two songs as “hillbilly music” which drew cheers of anticipation. “Family Reunion” brought out the banjo and it stayed out for “Truck Got Stuck”, “Rye Whisky, Rye Whisky” and “Time to Switch to Whisky” . The audience sang backup for both. They even performed a verse and chorus “a capella” after which Lund said “buy a t-shirt, cuz we bought too many, thanks and goodnight!” But the EPAC audience was not yet ready for their good times to end. After lengthy applause, hoots and hollers, and a prolonged chant of “Corb, Corb, Corb” finally earned them their encore: a Lund solo of “S Lazy H”. It’s a plaintive ballad chronicling a family’s loss of their sixth generation ranch. The lyrics, “I have lived with the sorrow/And I will die with the shame/For now the bank owns what’s left/Of the S Lazy H” clearly tugged at the audience’s hearts. When the Hurtin’ Albertans rejoined Lund onstage, cheers banished melancholy as “Five Dollar Bill” was warmly welcomed and earned another standing ovation fitting for a memorable evening of great melody, lyrics and artistry.
I talked with Corb Lund backstage shortly after the final song and asked him how his evening was.
“It was super fun! It’s a cool little theatre. I like it!…
We were just in Europe. I think they find cowboy stuff exotic. Europeans like that about us. I know about Alberta and our regional culture, so people here pick up on the subtleties more. It’s a little different here cause people know what I’m talking about. I grew up just outside of Taber/Cardston, so I’m pretty used to small town Alberta life.”
I asked him about the set. “It’s only the second night we’ve been doing this acoustic trio, but it’s been really fun. It’s kind of different from the big loud band. I like that too, but it’s been kind of neat because there’s a lot of space to play with. Like the guys, especially Grant (lead guitar), when he’s playing his acoustic instruments there’s so much space in the theatre for it to speak. This was a blast. Thanks for having us.”
Grant Siemans has been playing with Corb Lund for 21 years. Lund gave him props explaining that any instrument he (Epiphone guitar) and Sean Burns don’t play, Grant does! I asked Siemans to expand. He listed off what he used for this acoustic trio set. “The mandolin is a Gibson F5 that’s actually Corb’s. It’s about 10 years old. It sounds awesome! The resonator is a 1931 National. I got a steal of a deal with that one because somebody painted it brown in the 1940’s. Nobody wanted it, which was awesome! It looks baaad! The banjo; Epiphone gave us. It was a new model. I asked him about the unique guitar and playing style Siemans used for most of the evening’s performance. “That’s a Manouche guitar (gypsy jazz guitar), a Djanko Rhinehart style guitar. It was made by a Winnipeg luthier named Al Beardsell, Beardsell Guitars.” The acoustic trio has no drum kit, so Siemans played manouche guitar Le Pompe style and imitates the drum kit’s cymbals, keeping rhythm and also the chording of the melody. “I like the playing, practicing, learning. It’s not work for me.”
Pleasant duty, indeed. Especially for the night’s audience!
Businesses will see some changes to the local Rural Renewal Stream program come into effect on November 13.
The program, offered through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, allows business owners to bring in skilled workers from outside of the province or country. It also allows business owners who employ staff on a Temporary Work Visa to endorse them for permanent residency through the program.
At the October 30 town council meeting, Kundiso Nyambirai, the growth services manager, explained that they had 300 applications that they were reviewing. Between March 2023 and August 2024, the Town had endorsed 200 of those applications for consideration to the Province.
Nyambirai explained that the Province has now put a system into place to make it easier to sort through the applications on their end.
The points based system gives a better idea of which applications are most likely to be considered or approved for those municipalities endorsing them. Nyambirai says his department is reviewing the applications to see which ones would have enough points to be considered by the Province.
However, the Province is limited in the number of applications that it can put through. There are more than 70 municipalities and districts participating in the program, and the Province only has 1,900 spots they can approve in 2024.
“We are over-subscribing,” says Nyambirai. “We are endorsing 200 plus people.”
In August, the Town decided to make some changes to the way that the program would work in the community. This included limiting the number of applications to 100 each year, while also limiting the number of applications a business can submit to five. Nyambirai also suggested that limiting applications to workers who already resided in the community could help to ensure that the Town does have housing available for these applicants.
Nyambirai says the Province is currently sorting through 1,000 applications to decide on the remaining spots for the year. Councillor Monika Sherriffs agreed that the Town is sending in a higher than average amount of endorsements, stating that if there are 1,000 being considered and Drayton Valley has sent in 200, then we would be sending in many more applications than other municipalities.
Councillor Amila Gammana disagreed, saying that he believed other communities are likely doing the same. He says the real question is how many of those endorsements are receiving approval from the Province.
Nyambirai says that the municipalities are not made aware of which endorsements are approved. He says that looking into that number by contacting applicants would be very time consuming, so they cannot be sure how many of Drayton Valley’s businesses’ applications have been accepted for the program.
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Print advertising with your local newspaper gets you off the hamster wheel and connects you with a copywriter, graphic designer, and an ad planner who are actually interested in learning the ins and outs of your business. This person or people will work with you to generate creative ideas within your marketing budget. With their help you can get your creative juices flowing again and find ways to not just push content but to craft creative content that will be seen and prompts action.
Print ads are consumed like fine wine. Readers look at print ads longer and deeper than they do the disruptive advertising found on other media platforms. Tell me in the last time that you’ve binge scrolled your social media feeds – How many ads do you actually remember seeing? I am betting, not many.
Print ads are non-disruptive content for newspaper readers and therefore get the attention they truly deserve. They have a longer lasting impact for readers, and after all, deepening the relationship with customers is really what you are looking to do.
So here are some ways you can position your local business with print advertising.
- Thought leadership: Be a thought leader in the regional landscape of your industry. Use an ad space for how-to content, data presentation on regional trends. Newspaper readers are readers and so are more likely to read long form advertisements with interesting information. You can reuse this information on your website blogs, social platforms, podcasts and the like.
- Be action oriented: Ads are there to move the needle forward. A call to action can be as simple as moving an interested person from the print ad to “Check out our online store” – print to digital is easy to do in both the print and digital formats of your local newspaper. Using click through options and QR codes to specific URLs makes the cross over from print to digital platforms seamless.
- Event marketing: Discovering local events in the community newspaper is one of the top interest points for local readers. But don’t just churn out a generic “Come to our event”. Remember our readers enjoy spending time with the paper. Capitalize on that. When you advertise an event in the newspaper you have an opportunity to make an intimate connection so don’t treat it like a fly by night ad. Make it engaging, personal, and relevant.
- Coupons and promotions: If you are a retailer or a restaurant that has deals and promotions, newspaper readers take notice! Not only does the use of coupons help you track the effectiveness of your ad it also gets people in the door where you can start to deepen your client relationship.
- Minimize or maximize. When people book a print ad they tend to want to throw everything into it. This creates a cluttered, hard to read ad. Instead take the space to promote your one product or service that tends to get people in the door, then cross promote once you are in contact with your prospective client. Alternatively you can also use the space to create an organized product catalogue, or flier page that showcases a number of products but in an organized and thematic fashion.
By contacting your local newspaper you don’t just get an ad, you expand your marketing team exponentially. You get access to our professionals and we help you to figure out the direction you are looking to go with your business.
One local youth has seen his hard work with 4-H pay off after being selected as one of 12 youth to show their steers at the 2025 Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic.
Hunter Harris is a third generation 4-H member and has been part of the organization since he was 12 years old. Not only does he show cattle for 4-H, he’s also been entering open shows for the past two years. He says showing cattle is just a natural extension of his life as the son and grandson of farmers.
“I think it’s really important to know where your food comes from and I really enjoy showing,” says Harris. He says he also feels like he’s staying true to his heritage working in agriculture, which he is something he is proud of and wants to continue doing.
As an ambassador, Harris got his choice of steer from the OH Ranch this month. At the next Calgary Stampede, he will bring that steer back to show in the Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic under a special category for OH Beef.
He says being chosen as an ambassador is an honour and he’s excited to use the opportunity to help educate people about the importance of the industry.
“I think it means putting myself out there and trying to put out a positive image for both the Calgary Stampede and the beef industry as a whole,” says Harris. “As an ambassador, I feel I have the responsibility to try and promote the show world, the beef industry, and this way of life as much as I can.”
Beef showing a competitive sport
He says there is a lot of work that goes into showing and that he considers it a competitive sport, no different than horse showing or dog showing. Each year, Harris works with the steer or heifer he’s chosen. He’s responsible for feeding it, grooming it, and training it, which means spending time with it nearly every day for more than half a year.
“You’ve got to put in a ton of time. You have to be able to halter break it and get it tame,” says Harris. “There’s a process of training it to stand a certain way, how to respond to certain cues when you’re pulling on their halter, and how they should lead and behave in the show ring.”
It’s also important to put time into research about the proper feed for the steer. Harris says the type of food they are fed will greatly impact the standing in competition as well as the sale of the steer for butcher. He says there is a certain balance between fat and muscle that needs to be kept to make good meat.
At the show, all of the cattle get a fitting from the competitors to make sure they look their best when in the ring.
“It’s kind of like hairstyling, but for cows, in a sense,” he says.
Fitting involves cleaning the cow, blow drying them, clipping them, brushing tufts and styling them in certain ways to make the cow look its best in the show.
“It kind of brings out the best traits in them so they look like a better market animal,” he says.
Harris says he plans to attend more open shows this year and hopefully have the opportunity to help educate people about the industry. In the past, he’s spoken with young spectators at events who come up to see his cow and shared a little bit about the importance of the event.
“I just wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves and that they learned something,” says Harris. “The ladies that were showing [the children] around were learning stuff, too. I think it’s really important to try and connect with everyone on all levels and tell them what an amazing sport it is and how important it is.”
He says that sometimes it can be sad to see the cow go after working with it for so long. But Harris says it’s important for him to remember why he is doing it in the first place, and that families will be fed well because of his efforts.
While Harris is still contemplating what the future could hold for himself in terms of a career, he’s pretty certain that he will likely end up working with cattle and in the agriculture industry. He’s already been working on building up his own herd with his time and money, and a little bit of help from his family. He feels that this will give him a headstart in life and also makes a good choice as an ambassador.
“My parents have been extremely supportive of it, and they’ve helped me out a ton,” he says.
Harris believes his experience in working with his herd makes him more knowledgeable about the industry. He’s been learning about the traditions and the work that goes into maintaining a herd, including breeding, feeding, and the general well-being of the animals.
“I think that makes me a better showman and in a better position to be an ambassador,” he says.
Those who wish to know how Harris’ steer holds up to the other 11 ambassadors will have to wait until the July 2025 Calgary Stampede or hope to catch him at one of the several shows he plans to attend.
Tomahawk to receive a $1 million dollar upgrade
For the first time ever, the Tomahawk School volleyball team was able to host a home game thanks to their new gym.
Tracey Gilmour, the new principal for the school, says the new gym was a $1 million project. It was started last May and was finally finished on October 16, hours before their opening game.
“They were bringing the scissor lift out as we brought in the net,” says Gilmour.
The Timberwolves went on to win their first home game against the Muir Lake Mustangs.
“They were a little bit worried that actually performing at home would put some pressure on them,” says Gilmour. “But they did great.”
“I was very nervous and excited at the same time,” says Layla Chausse, one of the Timberwolves.
Team practice was a challenge in the past
While the school has always had team sports, Gilmour says it’s been a challenge for the teams to practice, and they’ve never been able to host a game before. The size of the gym wasn’t necessarily the problem. The issue was a large stage that took up about a third of the space in the room.
Gilmour says the stage made it difficult for the students to play any type of sports in the gym. She says small games could work, but a full sized game wasn’t possible.
The previous principal, Fran Bell, really advocated for the students saying they should have equal opportunities to access sports and extracurriculars.
“Parkland School Division stepped up and made that investment in our school,” says Gilmour.
After years of playing away games, the team was happy to finally get to play on their home turf.
“It was really nice to play in the gym for the first time,” says Josie Woodruff, one of the players. “We’re especially grateful to be able to play a home game.” She says their team has never had the opportunity to play in a new gym before.
The fact that they were the very first people to use the gym was something the team enjoyed, as well.
Strocher says winning is just icing on the cake
“We were really excited to have our first home game and be the first ones to play in that gym,” says Isabelle Strocher. She says winning that first game was just icing on the cake.
Up until the home opener, the girls had been practicing outside on a paved area near the school. Gilmour says it hasn’t been easy for the team, but they persevered, and had won every single game going into the home opener.
“Honestly, I think what got them through was their amazing team spirit,” says Gilmour. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re so supportive of each other.”
That team spirit has helped the Timberwolves make it into the playoffs this year.
“We’ve finished our placement games,” says Judith Munch. “Now we just have playoffs, and we’re hoping to host one, too.”
Members of business community voice concerns over local issues
Some local businesses gathered last week to voice concerns, propose possible solutions, and brainstorm a presentation to put before town council.
Erik Bergen, one of the owners of the Drayton Valley Bakery, held a meeting on October 9 and invited all businesses in the community to come out. Bergen wanted to hear their thoughts on three specific topics: homelessness, essential service administration and the Town’s free enterprise policy.
Bergen says the idea about having a presentation has been on his mind for several months. He says he’s spoken to many business owners who feel frustrated with the Town and the direction council is taking. However, he says he felt that if everybody only talked about it and no one went to the town, nothing would get accomplished.
Along with business owners, the organizers of Warming Hearts and members of the public attended the event.
Homelessness and franchises stir debate
Bergen prepared a presentation for the event, and reviewed it several times as people came and went as they were able. He also had a petition available for attendees to sign.
As he went over his presentation, Bergen says it was difficult to focus on the problems and solutions rather than opinions.
“It did derail a little bit, just because of the opposite points of view, especially regarding the homeless,” he says.
There were some attendees who viewed the homeless issue from a more humanitarian point of view and others that felt a heavier hand was needed. But Bergen says it’s important to
remember that not all homeless people are causing the issue. There are some individuals who are making it difficult for everyone.
“I don’t want to group all people into one basket,” says Bergen. “There are people who are homeless because their house burned down or were dealt a bad hand.”
Another topic that brought up differing opinions was new franchises coming into the community. In his presentation, Bergen argued that by simply leaving the door open for any new businesses in the community, council was putting a strain on businesses that were already established.
According to Bergen, there is about one restaurant (or registered kitchen) for every 95 people in the community. There are more than eight liquor stores and six cannabis stores, 12 pizza places and more than one of some franchises.
He believes that a lack of direction from council in this matter is making it difficult for businesses to do well. Bergen says his concern is protecting the current businesses that the town already has in place and allow them to flourish.
“A lot of these restaurant owners say that they’re one franchise away from closing their doors,” says Bergen.
Town services and the need for improvement
Bergen says that many people have also noticed a disparity in the services the Town offers the community. For example, there are a number of different “nice” things the Town has spent money on like the pumptrack, disc golf, the pool etc. However, there are some struggles with providing basic services such as regular road maintenance, weed control and pest management.
“Maybe they are doing the best they can do, or maybe they got pushed to the back burner,” says Bergen.
He says that he got a lot of feedback from those who attended the meeting. As it was his first time attempting anything like this, there was a learning curve and Bergen says he’s looking forward to making improvements at another meeting that will be held at the beginning of November.
Bergen’s plan is to present a list of complaints with possible solutions to council in November.
During this time, Bossert has also been down with Covid and another illness, which meant she was unable to work for three weeks.
“These last three months have been an amazing journey,” she says.
Bossert is once again sewing full-time and has been able to hire a part-time employee to help her keep up with her orders. Because she can’t leave her house due to her disability, Bossert says she needs to be careful about how many orders she takes on because she only has so much space.
Her spare room is currently her new studio, and she converted her sunroom into an office/spare room. She has a fitting mirror in her living area, and her dining room table is often used for cutting patterns.
She says when she was first building the skirt for her friend, and displaying it at the Expo, she didn’t expect it to really go anywhere. Her business partner, however, knew it would be a roaring success.
Bossert and her partner have stepped into a niche market for equestrian wear. Many of her competitors don’t offer wool skirts with patterns on them. Everything is one colour. Bossert, on the other hand, offers several different patterns of material for her products.
All of her products are reversible. They are wool on the outside, but if a person is out in rainy weather, they can turn the skirt around and expose the nylon lining. The lining allows water to roll right off it. One client even requested some reflective wear on the inside, so Bossert made a skirt with reflective fabric.
“Some of my clients told me they have been looking for a skirt like this for four years,” says Bossert.
One of the perks her clients enjoy with Bossert is all of the items are custom made. This means Bossert can make clothing for any size of person.
She says her business doesn’t just focus on attire for people who are trail riding. Bossert also makes clothing for hunters, mounted archers, and carriage drivers. “Some of it is really specific stuff, so I enjoy it,” she says.
Her daughter, Michelle, used to be a costumer, but has now followed in her mother’s footsteps and designs bridal wear. Bossert now considers herself mainly a costumer. “We’ve kind of switched places,” she says.
Corb Lund played the Eleanor Pickup Art Centre stage for a raucous sold-out audience Thursday evening.
The Hurtin’ Albertans acoustic duo backing Lund were Grant Siemans on guitar and Sean Burns playing upright bass About a quarter of the 224 capacity seats were purchased as VIP tickets. At 5PM, the three front rows were filled as a solo Corb Lund was greeted with cheers, sat on the edge of the stage, and began singing VIP favourites, telling backstories and conversing. After the warm and friendly performance, knowing their seats were reserved, VIPs ticket holders shopped for merch in the EPAC lobby or went for a meal and refreshment to a downtown restaurant.
Several VIP super-fans commented that it was well worth the premium to be up-close and personal with Lund.
EPAC’s doors remained open as rush seating meant coming early for a preferred perch. The merch table was double-staffed as demand was high for CDs and vinyl LPs, “It’s Better with Cows Around” hoodies and Lund album cover poster three-packs. Lots of stock meant no one was disappointed. Long before the 7:30 curtain it was rare to find two seats together, however. A group of five young men just arriving before the curtain were quickly ushered to the remaining seats.
With the theatre full, an excited ambiance and the clock ticking down to showtime, it was no surprise that when the house lights dimmed, introduction completed, and Corb Lund with the Hurtin’ Albertans appeared from stage right, pandemonium reigned.
Joyful hoots and hollers, cheers, yahoos and multiple long, wavering, high-pitched vocal trilling filled the auditorium. The band, looking fresh and ready despite being midway through a long tour of Europe/US started what was only their second performance of this acoustic set.
The show opened with two songs from Lund’s 2007 Horse Soldier Horse Soldier album. The opening bars of the title track were greeted with cheers of recognition and rewarded with loud applause as was “Especially A Paint”. The set list dipped into Lund’s deep catalogue from a long career: “May you Always have Cows Around” (Cabin Fever 2012), “Devil’s Best Dress” (Losin’ Lately Gambler 2009), “Truth Comes Out” (Hair in My Eyes Like a Highland Steer 2006) and “The Cardplayers” ( El Viejo 2024).
A tribute to the late Ian Tyson included past collaborations and Tyson songs: “Someday Soon” (1964), “The Rodeo’s Over” (Hair in My Eyes…2005), and “La Primera” (Ian Tyson Lost Herd 1999). Many fan favourites peppered the performance. Prior to the intermission we were treated to “Hard on Equipment”, “This is My Prairie” , and “Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle”. After the break, Lund introduced his next two songs as “hillbilly music” which drew cheers of anticipation. “Family Reunion” brought out the banjo and it stayed out for “Truck Got Stuck”, “Rye Whisky, Rye Whisky” and “Time to Switch to Whisky” . The audience sang backup for both. They even performed a verse and chorus “a capella” after which Lund said “buy a t-shirt, cuz we bought too many, thanks and goodnight!” But the EPAC audience was not yet ready for their good times to end. After lengthy applause, hoots and hollers, and a prolonged chant of “Corb, Corb, Corb” finally earned them their encore: a Lund solo of “S Lazy H”. It’s a plaintive ballad chronicling a family’s loss of their sixth generation ranch. The lyrics, “I have lived with the sorrow/And I will die with the shame/For now the bank owns what’s left/Of the S Lazy H” clearly tugged at the audience’s hearts. When the Hurtin’ Albertans rejoined Lund onstage, cheers banished melancholy as “Five Dollar Bill” was warmly welcomed and earned another standing ovation fitting for a memorable evening of great melody, lyrics and artistry.
I talked with Corb Lund backstage shortly after the final song and asked him how his evening was.
“It was super fun! It’s a cool little theatre. I like it!…
We were just in Europe. I think they find cowboy stuff exotic. Europeans like that about us. I know about Alberta and our regional culture, so people here pick up on the subtleties more. It’s a little different here cause people know what I’m talking about. I grew up just outside of Taber/Cardston, so I’m pretty used to small town Alberta life.”
I asked him about the set. “It’s only the second night we’ve been doing this acoustic trio, but it’s been really fun. It’s kind of different from the big loud band. I like that too, but it’s been kind of neat because there’s a lot of space to play with. Like the guys, especially Grant (lead guitar), when he’s playing his acoustic instruments there’s so much space in the theatre for it to speak. This was a blast. Thanks for having us.”
Grant Siemans has been playing with Corb Lund for 21 years. Lund gave him props explaining that any instrument he (Epiphone guitar) and Sean Burns don’t play, Grant does! I asked Siemans to expand. He listed off what he used for this acoustic trio set. “The mandolin is a Gibson F5 that’s actually Corb’s. It’s about 10 years old. It sounds awesome! The resonator is a 1931 National. I got a steal of a deal with that one because somebody painted it brown in the 1940’s. Nobody wanted it, which was awesome! It looks baaad! The banjo; Epiphone gave us. It was a new model. I asked him about the unique guitar and playing style Siemans used for most of the evening’s performance. “That’s a Manouche guitar (gypsy jazz guitar), a Djanko Rhinehart style guitar. It was made by a Winnipeg luthier named Al Beardsell, Beardsell Guitars.” The acoustic trio has no drum kit, so Siemans played manouche guitar Le Pompe style and imitates the drum kit’s cymbals, keeping rhythm and also the chording of the melody. “I like the playing, practicing, learning. It’s not work for me.”
Pleasant duty, indeed. Especially for the night’s audience!
Businesses will see some changes to the local Rural Renewal Stream program come into effect on November 13.
The program, offered through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, allows business owners to bring in skilled workers from outside of the province or country. It also allows business owners who employ staff on a Temporary Work Visa to endorse them for permanent residency through the program.
At the October 30 town council meeting, Kundiso Nyambirai, the growth services manager, explained that they had 300 applications that they were reviewing. Between March 2023 and August 2024, the Town had endorsed 200 of those applications for consideration to the Province.
Nyambirai explained that the Province has now put a system into place to make it easier to sort through the applications on their end.
The points based system gives a better idea of which applications are most likely to be considered or approved for those municipalities endorsing them. Nyambirai says his department is reviewing the applications to see which ones would have enough points to be considered by the Province.
However, the Province is limited in the number of applications that it can put through. There are more than 70 municipalities and districts participating in the program, and the Province only has 1,900 spots they can approve in 2024.
“We are over-subscribing,” says Nyambirai. “We are endorsing 200 plus people.”
In August, the Town decided to make some changes to the way that the program would work in the community. This included limiting the number of applications to 100 each year, while also limiting the number of applications a business can submit to five. Nyambirai also suggested that limiting applications to workers who already resided in the community could help to ensure that the Town does have housing available for these applicants.
Nyambirai says the Province is currently sorting through 1,000 applications to decide on the remaining spots for the year. Councillor Monika Sherriffs agreed that the Town is sending in a higher than average amount of endorsements, stating that if there are 1,000 being considered and Drayton Valley has sent in 200, then we would be sending in many more applications than other municipalities.
Councillor Amila Gammana disagreed, saying that he believed other communities are likely doing the same. He says the real question is how many of those endorsements are receiving approval from the Province.
Nyambirai says that the municipalities are not made aware of which endorsements are approved. He says that looking into that number by contacting applicants would be very time consuming, so they cannot be sure how many of Drayton Valley’s businesses’ applications have been accepted for the program.
Sponsored Content
In the age where there’s a constant drive for more and more content, coming up with ideas of how to promote your business can become a full time job on its own. I mean – you signed up to be a business owner right? Not a videographer, copywriter, or graphic designer. The good news is print advertising works differently from the social platforms that have you constantly chasing the next batch of likes and shares.
Print advertising with your local newspaper gets you off the hamster wheel and connects you with a copywriter, graphic designer, and an ad planner who are actually interested in learning the ins and outs of your business. This person or people will work with you to generate creative ideas within your marketing budget. With their help you can get your creative juices flowing again and find ways to not just push content but to craft creative content that will be seen and prompts action.
Print ads are consumed like fine wine. Readers look at print ads longer and deeper than they do the disruptive advertising found on other media platforms. Tell me in the last time that you’ve binge scrolled your social media feeds – How many ads do you actually remember seeing? I am betting, not many.
Print ads are non-disruptive content for newspaper readers and therefore get the attention they truly deserve. They have a longer lasting impact for readers, and after all, deepening the relationship with customers is really what you are looking to do.
So here are some ways you can position your local business with print advertising.
- Thought leadership: Be a thought leader in the regional landscape of your industry. Use an ad space for how-to content, data presentation on regional trends. Newspaper readers are readers and so are more likely to read long form advertisements with interesting information. You can reuse this information on your website blogs, social platforms, podcasts and the like.
- Be action oriented: Ads are there to move the needle forward. A call to action can be as simple as moving an interested person from the print ad to “Check out our online store” – print to digital is easy to do in both the print and digital formats of your local newspaper. Using click through options and QR codes to specific URLs makes the cross over from print to digital platforms seamless.
- Event marketing: Discovering local events in the community newspaper is one of the top interest points for local readers. But don’t just churn out a generic “Come to our event”. Remember our readers enjoy spending time with the paper. Capitalize on that. When you advertise an event in the newspaper you have an opportunity to make an intimate connection so don’t treat it like a fly by night ad. Make it engaging, personal, and relevant.
- Coupons and promotions: If you are a retailer or a restaurant that has deals and promotions, newspaper readers take notice! Not only does the use of coupons help you track the effectiveness of your ad it also gets people in the door where you can start to deepen your client relationship.
- Minimize or maximize. When people book a print ad they tend to want to throw everything into it. This creates a cluttered, hard to read ad. Instead take the space to promote your one product or service that tends to get people in the door, then cross promote once you are in contact with your prospective client. Alternatively you can also use the space to create an organized product catalogue, or flier page that showcases a number of products but in an organized and thematic fashion.
By contacting your local newspaper you don’t just get an ad, you expand your marketing team exponentially. You get access to our professionals and we help you to figure out the direction you are looking to go with your business.
One local youth has seen his hard work with 4-H pay off after being selected as one of 12 youth to show their steers at the 2025 Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic.
Hunter Harris is a third generation 4-H member and has been part of the organization since he was 12 years old. Not only does he show cattle for 4-H, he’s also been entering open shows for the past two years. He says showing cattle is just a natural extension of his life as the son and grandson of farmers.
“I think it’s really important to know where your food comes from and I really enjoy showing,” says Harris. He says he also feels like he’s staying true to his heritage working in agriculture, which he is something he is proud of and wants to continue doing.
As an ambassador, Harris got his choice of steer from the OH Ranch this month. At the next Calgary Stampede, he will bring that steer back to show in the Calgary Stampede Junior Steer Classic under a special category for OH Beef.
He says being chosen as an ambassador is an honour and he’s excited to use the opportunity to help educate people about the importance of the industry.
“I think it means putting myself out there and trying to put out a positive image for both the Calgary Stampede and the beef industry as a whole,” says Harris. “As an ambassador, I feel I have the responsibility to try and promote the show world, the beef industry, and this way of life as much as I can.”
Beef showing a competitive sport
He says there is a lot of work that goes into showing and that he considers it a competitive sport, no different than horse showing or dog showing. Each year, Harris works with the steer or heifer he’s chosen. He’s responsible for feeding it, grooming it, and training it, which means spending time with it nearly every day for more than half a year.
“You’ve got to put in a ton of time. You have to be able to halter break it and get it tame,” says Harris. “There’s a process of training it to stand a certain way, how to respond to certain cues when you’re pulling on their halter, and how they should lead and behave in the show ring.”
It’s also important to put time into research about the proper feed for the steer. Harris says the type of food they are fed will greatly impact the standing in competition as well as the sale of the steer for butcher. He says there is a certain balance between fat and muscle that needs to be kept to make good meat.
At the show, all of the cattle get a fitting from the competitors to make sure they look their best when in the ring.
“It’s kind of like hairstyling, but for cows, in a sense,” he says.
Fitting involves cleaning the cow, blow drying them, clipping them, brushing tufts and styling them in certain ways to make the cow look its best in the show.
“It kind of brings out the best traits in them so they look like a better market animal,” he says.
Harris says he plans to attend more open shows this year and hopefully have the opportunity to help educate people about the industry. In the past, he’s spoken with young spectators at events who come up to see his cow and shared a little bit about the importance of the event.
“I just wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves and that they learned something,” says Harris. “The ladies that were showing [the children] around were learning stuff, too. I think it’s really important to try and connect with everyone on all levels and tell them what an amazing sport it is and how important it is.”
He says that sometimes it can be sad to see the cow go after working with it for so long. But Harris says it’s important for him to remember why he is doing it in the first place, and that families will be fed well because of his efforts.
While Harris is still contemplating what the future could hold for himself in terms of a career, he’s pretty certain that he will likely end up working with cattle and in the agriculture industry. He’s already been working on building up his own herd with his time and money, and a little bit of help from his family. He feels that this will give him a headstart in life and also makes a good choice as an ambassador.
“My parents have been extremely supportive of it, and they’ve helped me out a ton,” he says.
Harris believes his experience in working with his herd makes him more knowledgeable about the industry. He’s been learning about the traditions and the work that goes into maintaining a herd, including breeding, feeding, and the general well-being of the animals.
“I think that makes me a better showman and in a better position to be an ambassador,” he says.
Those who wish to know how Harris’ steer holds up to the other 11 ambassadors will have to wait until the July 2025 Calgary Stampede or hope to catch him at one of the several shows he plans to attend.
Tomahawk to receive a $1 million dollar upgrade
For the first time ever, the Tomahawk School volleyball team was able to host a home game thanks to their new gym.
Tracey Gilmour, the new principal for the school, says the new gym was a $1 million project. It was started last May and was finally finished on October 16, hours before their opening game.
“They were bringing the scissor lift out as we brought in the net,” says Gilmour.
The Timberwolves went on to win their first home game against the Muir Lake Mustangs.
“They were a little bit worried that actually performing at home would put some pressure on them,” says Gilmour. “But they did great.”
“I was very nervous and excited at the same time,” says Layla Chausse, one of the Timberwolves.
Team practice was a challenge in the past
While the school has always had team sports, Gilmour says it’s been a challenge for the teams to practice, and they’ve never been able to host a game before. The size of the gym wasn’t necessarily the problem. The issue was a large stage that took up about a third of the space in the room.
Gilmour says the stage made it difficult for the students to play any type of sports in the gym. She says small games could work, but a full sized game wasn’t possible.
The previous principal, Fran Bell, really advocated for the students saying they should have equal opportunities to access sports and extracurriculars.
“Parkland School Division stepped up and made that investment in our school,” says Gilmour.
After years of playing away games, the team was happy to finally get to play on their home turf.
“It was really nice to play in the gym for the first time,” says Josie Woodruff, one of the players. “We’re especially grateful to be able to play a home game.” She says their team has never had the opportunity to play in a new gym before.
The fact that they were the very first people to use the gym was something the team enjoyed, as well.
Strocher says winning is just icing on the cake
“We were really excited to have our first home game and be the first ones to play in that gym,” says Isabelle Strocher. She says winning that first game was just icing on the cake.
Up until the home opener, the girls had been practicing outside on a paved area near the school. Gilmour says it hasn’t been easy for the team, but they persevered, and had won every single game going into the home opener.
“Honestly, I think what got them through was their amazing team spirit,” says Gilmour. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re so supportive of each other.”
That team spirit has helped the Timberwolves make it into the playoffs this year.
“We’ve finished our placement games,” says Judith Munch. “Now we just have playoffs, and we’re hoping to host one, too.”
Members of business community voice concerns over local issues
Some local businesses gathered last week to voice concerns, propose possible solutions, and brainstorm a presentation to put before town council.
Erik Bergen, one of the owners of the Drayton Valley Bakery, held a meeting on October 9 and invited all businesses in the community to come out. Bergen wanted to hear their thoughts on three specific topics: homelessness, essential service administration and the Town’s free enterprise policy.
Bergen says the idea about having a presentation has been on his mind for several months. He says he’s spoken to many business owners who feel frustrated with the Town and the direction council is taking. However, he says he felt that if everybody only talked about it and no one went to the town, nothing would get accomplished.
Along with business owners, the organizers of Warming Hearts and members of the public attended the event.
Homelessness and franchises stir debate
Bergen prepared a presentation for the event, and reviewed it several times as people came and went as they were able. He also had a petition available for attendees to sign.
As he went over his presentation, Bergen says it was difficult to focus on the problems and solutions rather than opinions.
“It did derail a little bit, just because of the opposite points of view, especially regarding the homeless,” he says.
There were some attendees who viewed the homeless issue from a more humanitarian point of view and others that felt a heavier hand was needed. But Bergen says it’s important to
remember that not all homeless people are causing the issue. There are some individuals who are making it difficult for everyone.
“I don’t want to group all people into one basket,” says Bergen. “There are people who are homeless because their house burned down or were dealt a bad hand.”
Another topic that brought up differing opinions was new franchises coming into the community. In his presentation, Bergen argued that by simply leaving the door open for any new businesses in the community, council was putting a strain on businesses that were already established.
According to Bergen, there is about one restaurant (or registered kitchen) for every 95 people in the community. There are more than eight liquor stores and six cannabis stores, 12 pizza places and more than one of some franchises.
He believes that a lack of direction from council in this matter is making it difficult for businesses to do well. Bergen says his concern is protecting the current businesses that the town already has in place and allow them to flourish.
“A lot of these restaurant owners say that they’re one franchise away from closing their doors,” says Bergen.
Town services and the need for improvement
Bergen says that many people have also noticed a disparity in the services the Town offers the community. For example, there are a number of different “nice” things the Town has spent money on like the pumptrack, disc golf, the pool etc. However, there are some struggles with providing basic services such as regular road maintenance, weed control and pest management.
“Maybe they are doing the best they can do, or maybe they got pushed to the back burner,” says Bergen.
He says that he got a lot of feedback from those who attended the meeting. As it was his first time attempting anything like this, there was a learning curve and Bergen says he’s looking forward to making improvements at another meeting that will be held at the beginning of November.
Bergen’s plan is to present a list of complaints with possible solutions to council in November.
Both she and Michelle work together to help their businesses. Bossert is currently using an industrial serger that her daughter lent to her. She also has an industrial sewing machine that she bought herself for her 40th birthday.
When Bossert ships out her finished pieces, she also includes one of her handmade cards as a gift. She has also sold some of her cards, with the most recent batch going to Tennessee. Since beginning The Creative Daughter, she has had to take a step back from her painting to make her products, and she’s excited to get back to painting.
“I love the art, and the art is my reward to myself for making skirts, but I’ve haven’t had time,” she says. “I haven’t made a card for weeks.”
She’s also being requested to make a landscape painting for someone in Nunavut
Recently Bossert had MP Gerald Soroka and his wife come for a visit.
“He was a great ambassador for the small businesses in Alberta and I was honoured to have him come visit,” she says, “I thought it would only be a half-an-hour visit because he’s very busy, but it turned into four hours.”
Bossert says she loves the life she is currently living. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the life I have right now,” she says. She sees her children and grandchildren regularly, and she still sees friends when she can.
She says right now it feels like the end of an era for Designs By Deb, but she felt it was time to start anew.
“The Creative Daughter was a name I came up with to honour my dad, who passed away two years ago. And also because I am a daughter of the King and I am a devout Christian. I believe that it’s He that gave me the talent to do whatever I do.”
Bossert says she was never expecting this turn of events, and was content with being an artist and a grandmother. But one of the hardest things for her with her health and retirement is that she felt she couldn’t serve her community in that capacity.
Now that she has this business, she feels like she’s serving others again. “My life really has been about service, whether it’s as a volunteer, or within the faith community, or as a public figure.”
She says for many years her health limited her ability to offer most services to the community. She says it wasn’t necessarily a physical limitation, but rather a mental limitation because she thought she could no longer serve.
“My health is still as fragile as it ever was. But there are other ways to serve. It doesn’t mean you have to volunteer. There are other ways to serve and I’m very grateful for that.”
Corb Lund plays to a packed house
Corb Lund live at the Eleanor Pickup Art Centre. A sold-out crowd enjoyed an acoustic trio set with the Hurtin’ Albertans, blending heartfelt ballads, fan favorites, and cowboy-inspired storytelling. VIP perks, exclusive merch, and a thrilling encore made this Alberta performance unforgettable
Changes to Rural Renewal Stream
Businesses in Drayton Valley will see some changes to the local Rural Renewal Stream program come into effect on November 13.
Five creative ways to use print advertising to supercharge your business
Print advertising with your local newspaper gets you off the hamster wheel and connects you with a copywriter, graphic designer, and an ad planner who are actually interested in learning the ins and outs of your business.
Hard work and heritage reflected in 4-H
Hunter Harris is a third generation 4-H member and has been part of the organization since he was 12 years old. Not only does he show cattle for 4-H, he’s also been entering open shows for the past two years.
