A former DV Minor Hockey Player to their roster has signed with the Washington Capitals.
Clay Stevenson was born in Edmonton, but he spent part of his life growing up in Drayton Valley with his dad, Ian. The other portion of his life was spent in B.C. with his mother Holly, who was one of the greatest supporters of his hockey career.
After playing minor hockey in both B.C. and Alberta, some of which was spent in Drayton, Stevenson went on to play Junior B and Junior A hockey in B.C. From there he was picked up by the Dartmouth Big Green.
His save percentage of 0.900 appealed to several teams. Stevenson’s overall rating is 0.922, which ranked second in the ECAC.
While draft eligibility for the NHL starts at the age of 18 and ends at 20. Stevenson, at age 23, has been drafted as a free agent to the team.
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“I was an NCAA free agent and I think that was the best group for me.” He says it allowed him to choose where he wanted to go, and he wasn’t locked into any one team.
Stevenson says his drive for hockey started when he was young. His mother was an avid hockey player and always encouraged Stevenson to play the sport. She even stepped up to coach his team one year in B.C.
He says he learned that he loved the goaltender position from a young age, and always asked to play it when he was on the younger teams. He started playing hockey at age 7.
“My mom always told me that I should start out as a player first, and then if you still want to be a goalie you can,” she says.
The next year, Stevenson said he tried other positions, but he always preferred goaltending. When he was finally able to secure a permanent position for goaltender, he was happy to have it. “My third year of hockey, I was a full-time goalie,” he says.
“My mom always made sure I was enrolled in goalie camp whenever I could. She would get up early to take me to practice before school,” says Stevenson. “Those are times I will never forget with her.”
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.
Town changing Facility Code of Conduct
The Town is making some changes to its Facility Code of Conduct in an effort to ensure its facilities aren’t being misused.
Cody Rossing, the manager of enforcement and emergency management, presented council with a proposed amendment to the Code of Conduct. Rossing says the Code of Conduct was put in place in August 2016. Since council expressed concern surrounding enforcement of removing homeless individuals from the Civic Centre vestibule, administration reviewed the code and came up with some suggestions.
Rossing says there are several different prohibitions that were not included in the original Code of Conduct. Most of the changes were stronger wording surrounding loitering and failing to comply with signage. While the original code prohibited smoking, it did not mention vaping, so Rossing says they have changed that.
The wording surrounding service animals was also changed to match provincial law.
The proposed changes also give more power to facility managers when it comes to banning individuals from Town facilities. They will be able to ban individuals for up to seven days. General managers and peace officers will also be able to suspend someone for up to six months. CAOs will be able to ban someone for more than six months if necessary.
“It’s putting in those different layers so the CAO isn’t involved in everything,” says Rossing.
He says there are also changes to wording surrounding the appeals process of someone who has been banned for more than 24 hours.
“And it clarifies that if someone is contravening their suspension or expulsion, then they are considered trespassing and law enforcement will be made aware for further actions,” says Rossing.
Councillor Colin Clarke raised concerns about the bans, asking if a ban from Town facilities meant all Town-owned buildings, even if there were tennants operating out of some of them. He says he worried that banning someone from the Omniplex might affect their ability to go to the Food Bank or other necessary services.
Hans van Klaveren, the acting CAO, says that typically the operator is setting those guidelines or rules for their building.
Councillor Tom McGee also spoke about the Warming Hearts Centre as the Town helps to fund the rent for the facility through grants.
In the end, it was decided that if a tenant wanted to have someone trespassed, they would contact Rossing and it would be treated like other businesses in the community. Their bans will only apply to Town owned and operated facilities.
“I’m glad to see we’re addressing this and putting the structure in place to give you the tools to do something about it,” says Councillor Rick Evans.
“I think that, in the end, our residents are going to appreciate our efforts to make the use of our facilities more enjoyable and safe, ultimately.”
A weekend cycling secondary highways
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Spending a weekend cycling the secondary highway in and around Brazeau County is one of the great outdoor activities that this region has to offer. Minutes outside of Drayton Valley you will find yourself on kilometers of highway that seem to continue to stretch West. Many of these highways go near small hamlets and communities in the area, they go into and come out of river valleys and on a clear day offer a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains.
One such circuit is the DV100 century loop. This 100km route takes you west past farmlands and through lush boreal forests, and through the small communities and hamlets that mark the birth of Alberta’s oil and gas industry. It is a loop that can be done with speed or taken at a leisurely pace, offering snack and eatery stops along the way.
Day 1: Arrival, dinner
Arrive at hotel: When you stay at a Drayton Valley Hospitality and Tourism hotel or campground you support local tourism initiatives in Drayton Valley and Brazeau County.
Evening ride: Stretch your legs and do the 19 km ring road multipurpose trails to Rocky Rapids. Park your vehicle at the “Welcome to Drayton Valley” derricks at the south end of town and right across the street you will be on the trails. The route will take you straight out to the hamlet of Rocky Rapids where you can stop off at the Rocky Rapids store for a snack. The original building is located at the Drayton Valley museum.
Dinner: Did you know we have over 40 different restaurants in Drayton Valley? Look at our restaurant listing in this guide.
Ricochet Aquatic Centre: Take in the steamroom and the hot tub at the local swimming pool. The pool is open until 8:00 pm most nights and will get you ready for your big century ride tomorrow.
Day 2: The DIY DV100
Breakfast: Take in some breakfast at your hotel or head out to one of our great breakfast venues.
DIY DV100: The DV100 is a 100 kilometre route that travels secondary highways in Brazeau County. Along the route there are several spots you can stop to regroup, take in a photo and enjoy some food. Just out of town is the Poplar Ridge Store, this is your last stop to get any supplies until you reach the community of Lodgepole about about kilometre 40.
Arrive Lodgepole: this is a small hamlet that has a general store in the heart of town. Here you can grab a drink, and convenience store fare. There is also the hotel restaurant that is open 11-12:30 and 3-8 most days, there is also the Aud Spot for breakfast and lunch as a cash only option.
Heading out of Lodgepole towards Cynthia there are a few great photo opportunities as you crest a hill coming up from the Pembina River Valley. This is a slog of a climb but once you crest it is smooth sailing to Cynthia.
Near the Hamlet of Cynthia there is the ever popular Cyn City Saloon where you can get a beverage and a burger. Heading back towards Drayton Valley and Hwy 621 your next stop is 39 km away in the community of Rocky Rapids where you can stop at the store for some snacks and then back into town.
(In the Evening)
Hotel: regroup at your hotel and get ready for the evening.
Dinner: Drayton Valley has more than 40 different restaurants. Have a look at our listings page to decide where you want to eat.
Drinks: Head to a patio and enjoy the sunset with an ice cold brew. Lounge patios can be found at; Khal’s Steakhouse, Boston Pizza, Mitch’s Restaurant, Oil Country Tap House, Bourbon House and Mr. Mikes.
Day 3 Check out, walk and head home
Breakfast: Breakfast at your hotel or check out and head to a local restaurant for brunch.
Disc golf or a walk: If you want to stretch your time here in Drayton Valley, head over to Ivan To Park for a walk around the pond or a round of disc golf. The park has an 18-hole disc golf course that is open at no charge. If you’re pushed for time there’s an easy cut off to limit your round to 9 holes.
Head home. We hope you’ve enjoyed your time in our community. Come back soon!
Enforcement options limited
Staff Sergeant Ryan Hoetmer says dealing with the effects of the homeless population in the community is not simple.
Hoetmer says that the most common complaint regarding homeless individuals is about them sleeping or spending time in business entrances. That was one of the main issues raised by town council in a discussion on September 18.
Hoetmer says RCMP involvement in removing the individual and charging them with trespassing is a bit tricky, especially in regards to private businesses.
“The police themselves do not make a determination of whether that homeless individual can be there or not,” says Hoetmer. “That has to be the business that decides that.”
This means that someone from the business has to contact the RCMP to let them know there is an unwanted individual in the vestibule. At that point, police can attend and get the individual moving along.
However, unless the business has served trespass notices on the person causing the issue, the RCMP cannot issue fines for trespassing.
That is also not as simple as it seems. Hoetmer says that does give the trespass notice has to be willing to pursue the entire process into court as well.
“They’ve got to show up at trial if this individual fights it,” he says.
Hoetmer says banks, for example, are not typically interested in pursuing this as they all have nationally run security headquarters, so there’s not a lot of interest in them following those steps.
Both the Town and RCMP have met with bank managers and are encouraging them to lock their doors at night to prevent the homeless from using the vestibule as a warming space.
Due to the lifestyle that comes with homelessness, which often includes mental health issues and addictions, the RCMP do interact with the homeless on a regular basis.
“We get to know these individuals, but unless they are commiting crime we don’t have a lot of power,” he says.
He says the Town has asked them to have more enforcement on homeless individuals who have been banned or issued trespassing notices.
“Our job is community safety so if that’s what the community wants to keep the community safe, we’ve agreed to do that,” says Hoetmer.
However, that means businesses need to start following through with the process on their end.
In regards to the Civic Centre vestibule, Hoetmer says the Town would need to start looking at trespassing individuals in order for the RCMP to begin issuing tickets.
“That is up to the Town whether they want to trespass these individuals from all Town property,” says Hoetmer.
But even with all of the businesses doing their part and the RCMP able to keep up with the enforcement, there is still more to consider.
“Enforcement has failed these individuals for years. Nobody usually becomes unsheltered without probably having had enforcement intervention for a number of years already, and it hasn’t changed anything.”
Hoetmer says there have been no complaints of physical harm caused to residents by any homeless individuals. “They can be aggressive and make people feel uncomfortable, but we have had no assaults. No reports of any sort of physical violence to anybody.”
In regards to break and enters, Hoetmer says some of the smaller property crimes are being committed by homeless individuals, but they aren’t the only ones.
“There’s other individuals in town that are not homeless that are committing those offences,” says Hoetmer. “The bigger break and enters are being committed by prolific property crime offenders.”
In regards to issuing fines for trespassing, Hoetmer says that also isn’t as simple as many believe. Those who have fines may not be able to pay them. At some point, they can be arrested, but there is no guaranteed timeline for how long the individual will stay behind bars, as they will be released first if room is needed for people convicted of more serious crimes.
In the end, the fines do not get paid.
Hoetmer says he doesn’t want the Town to “hang their hat on enforcement,” because while it can play a role in deterring homeless individuals from becoming a nuisance, it’s not the entire solution.
“We’re going to have a role,” says Hoetmer. “Our job is keeping the community safe. So, if part of that is needing to enforce, then we will do that.”
At that time, Stevenson moved to B.C., where he played one year of Atom and two years of Peewee. Then he returned to Drayton Valley, where he played his two years of Bantam and one year of Midget hockey.
He finished out his Minor Hockey career in B.C., where he was drafted to play Junior B Hockey in the KIJHL for the 100 Mile House Wranglers. Shortly after that, he was drafted to play for the Coquitlam Express, a Junior A team in the BCHL.
“I actually committed to Dartmouth about six weeks into my Junior A Hockey Career,” says Stevenson. He says Dartmouth approached him before he was even playing Junior A while he was at a hockey camp. At the time he assumed it was a Junior A scout, so he was surprised to realize it was a scout for Division 1 hockey.
“So I made Junior A and next thing you know I was committed to Dartmouth College. It was the best decision of my life, and I’ve never looked back.”
Stevenson signed on with the Washington Capitals after taking a tour of their facility, where he met Alexander Ovechkin. The actual sign on date was March 27, 2022.
“I had been in touch with them for a while throughout my season,” he says.
Though Stevenson had had several offers from other teams, he says he felt comfortable with Washington’s overall program and facility. “The people in the organization are second to none,” he says.
The new training officer for the Drayton Valley/Brazeau County Fire Services comes to the position with a background in the military.
Matthew Noad started with the department at the beginning of June after relocating from Cold Lake’s military base.
Noad says he started working in fire services when he was 18 in Magrath, south of Lethbridge.
“I started fire fighting about as soon as I could,” says Noad.
He says during his time in Magrath, he worked with another man who had worked as a firefighter for the Canadian Military.
“I didn’t even know that there was firefighters in the military,” says Noad.
Noad started with the military in 2018 and completed basic training as well as some firefighter training in Borden, Ontario. Once that was done, he was stationed in Cold Lake.
Military firefighters are mostly stationed at the air force bases in Canada, says Noad, although the Edmonton Army Base also has military firefighters. The rest of the bases have firefighters under National Defence rather than the military.
The firefighters are responsible for the structures and personnel on the base, as well as the aircrafts. He says other than dealing with aircraft, most of the training that they receive is the same that an on-call volunteer would receive at a municipal fire department.
“We kind of become their insurance policy in a sense,” says Noad. “We’re the ones protecting it from fire and damage.”
He says they were basically trained in airport firefighting, which isn’t as much of an issue in Drayton. However, Noad didn’t spend a lot of time dealing with wildfires at the base, so he will also be learning some things during his time here.
After six years working mostly in Cold Lake as a training officer, Noad says he decided to go with a change of direction in his firefighting career. He says he saw the opportunity in Drayton Valley and was excited by the prospects.
Noad says working in Alberta was what he had preferred, having spent most of his life in the province. However, one of the perks of the community was that it was closer to the mountains than Cold Lake was, and his wife has some family in the area.
“I’m actually super excited to be here,” says Noad. “I’m excited to be working with such a committed group of volunteers and full-time staff.”
He says he was impressed watching the dedication the department had to looking out for the County and the Town during the wildfire season in 2023.
“That was one of the driving forces that brought me here,” he says. “There’s such a dedicated group of individuals that sacrificed their own time to be there for people on their worst days. With the extreme conditions that they were in, they did an excellent job with what they had.”
Noad says he highly encourages anyone who is interested in giving back to their community to apply to be a volunteer firefighter. Their next training recruitment is in the fall, but they accept applications throughout.
Anyone who is interested in applying can visit the Town office for an application or call the department at 780-514-2216.
The question of whether a person should celebrate their father all year round or on one particular day has been answered for a local family.
On March 18, 2023, the Mockerman family’s lives took a drastic turn when Rob Mockerman was involved in an accident that left him with second and third degree burns to more than 85 percent of his body.
At 5:30 that evening, while his wife Trish and six-year-old son Aden were inside their house near Buck Creek cooking dinner, Mockerman went to his shop to give a tune up to a recently purchased snowmobile.
“We’d just got a new-to-us skidoo from a guy in Edmonton,” says Mockerman. Both he and Aden were excited to go try it out.
Unbeknownst to Mockerman, there was a fuel leak in the machine. When he first started the engine, it caught on fire. At first Mockerman tried to get the machine out of his shop, which held close to a million dollars worth of tools and equipment.
When it became clear that wouldn’t work, Mockerman tried to put the fire out as best as he could. Finally, he decided to make a run for his fire extinguisher.
“I got half way across the shop when the skidoo blew up,” says Mockerman.
From that point on, Mockerman’s memory of the incident is limited. He says he remembers looking for a way out, and that he could only see a tiny little spot.
Trish says she saw the smoke through the bedroom window and told Aden that she had to go see what his dad was doing.
“Once it came across the floor and up the door frame it was too much for me,” says Trish.
“I made sure she dialed 911,” says Aden.
Once Mockerman made it outside, Trish tackled him to the ground, hoping the snow would help put out the flames. He got up again at that point and ran past the deck, where Aden was watching the commotion, before falling into the snow again.
Trish made all the necessary phone calls and soon the ambulance arrived. She’d also reached out to Mockerman’s parents, asking to speak to Ernie so she didn’t have to upset Alice, as well as his estranged brother Randy. Once the paramedics arrived, it became clear that STARS was needed.
Both Ernie and Alice had arrived at Mockerman’s place before he was airlifted to the hospital.
“I don’t remember much, but I just remember that as STARS was flying away, I was blowing kisses at the helicopter and praying with tears just running down my cheeks,” says Alice.
Ernie says the person that he saw lying on the gurney did not in any way resemble his son. Mockerman asked the paramedics to keep his mom away because he didn’t want her to see him like that.
“It was a nightmare,” says Alice. “It was the worst nightmare that I’ve ever had.”
Eleven minutes after the helicopter arrived, Mockerman was in Edmonton at the burn unit in the University of Alberta hospital.
Upon arrival in Edmonton, Mockerman flatlined for the first time. Before he was stable, Mockerman died two more times in the hospital. For three months, he was in a coma.
He says he has little recollection of the time when he was in the coma other than he had vivid night terrors for the duration of it. A recent trip through Breton gave him an anxiety attack when he recognized a building that had been in one of those nightmares.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses went to work debriding the dead tissue on his body.
“I remember waking up once in the middle of it,” he says. “That’s not a fun experience. I realized at that point in time that I was in trouble.”
During his time in the hospital, Mockerman’s family came to see him every weekend without fail. Even Aden made the trip with them, though he didn’t always go inside to see his dad after his first experience seeing Mockerman didn’t go well.
“It was hot in there. I was cooking,” says Aden. Trish recognized that he was about to faint and quickly brought him out to the waiting room.
“That was the hardest part for me,” says Mockerman. “The first time I was seeing my son and he was so scared he couldn’t even come up to me.”
“How do you prepare him for that?” says Alice. “That was his dad, his best friend there. How do I tell him what he’ll see?”
Part of the issue was that Mockerman didn’t look like himself. His body had swollen to nearly four times its natural size. To help prevent his limbs from bursting, doctors made incisions along both arms and legs to help relieve the swelling. Because of the swelling, he also couldn’t breathe so the doctors performed a tracheotomy.
Mockerman says the only areas of his body that they didn’t remove skin grafts from were the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. Everything else was fair game.
On Monday they would take a skin graft from his stomach. Then on Thursday, they would take one from his back. Monday would come around again, and they would remove what skin they could from his stomach.
After 48 surgeries, months of rehabilitation that involved learning how to speak, write, and walk again, Mockerman remembers the staff at the hospital fondly.
“Dr. Sean Dodd is like my best friend now,” says Mockerman of the head surgeon. “Dr. Alexis Amour, one of my plastic surgeons, she’s… I couldn’t say enough words about her. She’s phenomenal.”
He says all of the staff on the burn ward were “utterly amazing people.” One of his favourite memories was being woken up at 12:01 a.m. on his birthday as the entire staff on the floor came in to sing him Happy Birthday.
Though Mockerman tried to remain as positive as possible, there were days when his mood turned down. When that happened, he said the staff were always there for him emotionally and truly helped him to get through the experience.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t see for a while,” he says. “I had to learn all of my life skills all over again.”
When it became apparent that the flesh on his left calf wasn’t going to heal, doctors began to discuss amputating his left leg.
He kept getting infections and they weren’t going away. The doctor told him they had tried every single medication and trial drug available in Canada, but nothing seemed to be working. Mockerman was told he likely only had a few days left to live.
However, a doctor in the United States happened to read about Mockerman and contacted his doctor. They had a new drug that hadn’t even started being tested on animals. The American doctor told Mockerman’s doctor that if he could get Canadian approval, he would ship him the drug. That drug saved his life.
“To this day, they tell me a bee sting could take me out,” says Mockerman. “I don’t have an immune system.”
Dodd fought to have Mockerman keep his leg and was successful. Rather than remove the leg, they removed all of the flesh from his calf, leaving only the bone covered by a couple layers of skin.
“They say it’s amazing that I can even walk,” he says.
Once Mockerman got it into his mind that he was going to walk he said he didn’t let anything deter him from his goal. He didn’t say anything to his family about his efforts. Instead, he surprised them by walking out to see them when they came to visit for his birthday on June 17.
Only a month ago Mockerman had to go to the U of A to have his pinkie fingers removed on both hands. He says he learned that when a body is burned, one of the first things that happens is the fingers curl up. Once that happens, it can be difficult to get them to straighten out to a point that they can be useful.
The remainder of his fingers had to be worked on. Skin grafts were needed and hardware had to be put in place. All three fingers and his thumb work on his left hand, but on his right hand, his pointer finger and middle finger are still in casts.
While Mockerman may have suffered the injuries, his close call affected everyone in his family. Ernie and Alice normally head to Arizona for the winter months, but for the winter of 2023/24, they stayed in Drayton. Ernie has been driving Mockerman in for his weekly appointments.
“There’s no words to express how much it affected all of us,” says Alice. “We just praise the Lord every day.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Mom and Dad and Trish,” Mockerman says.
But one of the best things to come out of the experience was Mockerman’s relationship with his brother. He said for the majority of his life, he and his brother didn’t get along. They would only tolerate each other at family events when they didn’t have a choice. Now they are closer than they ever were before.
“Randy and I are best friends now. It really brought us together,” he says. “It brought all of us together.”
Prior to the accident, Mockerman was looking forward to retiring in 2025 with plans to work out of his shop doing custom Harley paint jobs. Unfortunately, Mockerman had taken the insurance off of his vehicles for the winter as he wouldn’t be driving them. A misunderstanding of what exactly was covered by insurance left him with nothing but ash after his shop burned down.
“I’ve never been able to slow down,” he says. “I’ve always been the type of guy to grab an extra gear and keep on going. Slowing down has been one of the hardest things.”
He says one of the hardest things when he returned home was that he couldn’t return to work. Mockerman says he absolutely loved his job, but after his accident, the company had to sell his truck and eliminate his position.
Mockerman says he was shocked to see how many neighbours came out to support his family after his accident. He says he couldn’t express enough gratitude to cover how he felt about their help.
One family, the Hayduks, were at his house shortly after the accident and took Aden to their house while the paramedics were there to distract him from the experience.
“You tend to forget how many friends you actually have until something like this unfortunately comes along,” says Mockerman.
He says though he works to stay positive, there are times when he finds his mind drifting to what is missing.
“I just look out the window sometimes and look around to see what I lost,” he says. “But then I look around to see what I have. I feel pretty damn blessed.”
Now that he’s at home, there are still a lot of adjustments that he has to get used to. He says he will never ride a Harley again, and will have to resort to using trikes instead. He’s also lost a lot of his drive for his retirement dream and isn’t sure if it will ever come back.
To help pass the time and as part of his therapeutic process, Mockerman has been writing a book about his experience. He says the nurses on the ward were always encouraging him to write. Now, he has the rough draft of a novel written out, and is always thinking of just one more thing to add to it.
One habit Mockerman has been working on now that he’s home is gratitude. He says he and Aden do their best to start their day finding five things to be grateful for in the upcoming day.
Prior to his accident, Mockerman says he wasn’t a religious person. But a couple of experiences that he had when he had flatlined has changed his views.
“I saw the light that everyone talks about. I’m guessing it was God standing at the end of it,” he says.
While he can’t be certain, Mockerman says it felt like God was speaking to him. He was told that he had a choice: he could either go to sleep and escape the pain, or if Mockerman could give a good reason, he could live. Mockerman says he chose to live, that he wanted to be there for his son, and then he woke up.
The next time he flatlined all he saw at the end of his tunnel was a picture of Aden. Mockerman says he’d never seen the picture before. But when he came too the next day, his mother had brought that exact same picture, frame and all, to put in his room.
Even though the weather left a lot to be desired, the Mockermans still went out camping on May Long weekend with several friends. Mockerman says he’s hoping to keep as many of his regular activities in his life as he can.
Currently, Mockerman is not able to work. While Trish does still have her job, and is able to work from home sometimes, the couple has had to go through a large chunk of their savings to get by.
Friends and family hosted a fundraiser for them in Breton last summer, and Ernie says he was pleased with the turnout. “There were about 200 people there,” he says.
For now, Mockerman says they are taking it one day at a time.
“They call me miracle man in there,” he says. “I’m not bragging, that’s just what they said. They said they’ve never seen anyone so positive going through what I did.”
Are you a local looking for things to do in and around Drayton Valley, or Brazeau County. Our award winning editor Graham Long, has got your covered in his weekly summary of things happening in Drayton Valley. Have a read of Next Week’s News each week to get an idea on how to plan your, week.
Next Week's News: May 16, 2024 Column
Attention motorists, cyclists, pedestrians etc! Construction work on the eastern portion of Drayton Valley’s 50 Avenue is about to get underway. Expect some detours and traffic disruption in the area over the next several weeks.
Shale Medical is currently trialing a Saturday same day clinic. Depending on feedback and demand they may extend this further. The following dates are slated for the trial: June 15, 9 am – 4 pm, June 22 9 am -4 pm and June 29: 9 am – 4 pm.
The booking procedure is listed on their website and walk-ins will be accepted as well.
Drayton Valley’s Small Town Big Party is tomorrow, (that’s Friday June 14) in Omni 3. That means live music from a couple of bands, plus beer gardens and games and all sorts of fun. This is an adult only event and admission is $7.
Father’s Day is Sunday June 16. For the love of God, no more socks, please!
And after that, it’s time for summer! The most wonderful time of the year officially begins at 8:50 pm, Thursday June 20.
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. This year it’s Friday June 21.
The Lions Club are bringing the fair to Drayton Valley again this month. It’ll be in town June 21, 22, and 23.
The Frank Maddock High School graduation is June 22. Congratulations to everyone who’s graduating from all of our local schools this year. And if you’re heading off to college or university please call or text your parents regularly. You know how they worry.
June 26 is the last day of school for students in Drayton Valley and Breton, so watch out for bands of feral youth roaming the streets over the next couple of months.
Don’t forget that your property taxes are due to be paid by the end of this month. Since June 30 is a Sunday, you probably want to be a few days early, just in case. If you live in Brazeau County you’ll get a 30 percent rebate if you pay on time, so it’s worth the effort.
And Canada Day is fast approaching. In Drayton Valley there’s a pancake breakfast starting at 7 am at the legion. The parade begins at 10 am and follows the usual route up 50 Avenue and then north on 50 Street. The rest of the activities will be at the Omniplex from 11 am to 3 pm with fireworks at dusk, weather permitting.
Cut out the middle man and get your Drayton Valley and District Free Press directly to your email inbox.
Get more activity ideas in for the Drayton Valley and Brazeau County region in our Brazeau and Beyond Travel Guide.
Head over to our travel guide page to download yours today.
Click here: Brazeau and Beyond
Now that the Eldorado Elementary School has been completely demolished, crews have started work on tearing down the old H.W. Pickup Junior High School.
“You can see that they’re starting to take down the building,” says Brad Volkman, the superintendent for the Wild Rose School Division.
Because H.W. Pickup was built on municipal reserve land Volkman says the land will not be going up for sale once the work crews are done. Once the demolition is completed, the property will automatically go back to the Town.
Vandalism reported an Issue
“We don’t take any money for that,” says Volkman. “They just get it back.”
There have been a few instances of vandalism at the old schools, and Volkman says it’s always a safety concern if there is an abandoned building. The division also had to spend money doing what they could to repair damages, such as boarding up windows that had been broken.
“We’re glad to see it coming down,” he says. “We don’t want to see people getting injured or defacing the building.”
Volkman says staff in the division had the opportunity to go through the schools and take any items they wanted out of them. Anything that was left behind became the property of the demolition company.
Playgrounds to be reused
However, Volkman says the playgrounds on both school sites aren’t being completely destroyed. The plan is to have as much of the equipment moved to the new school as they can safely do. He says they will be moved over the summer.
“Most of the one on the Eldorado property will be going to the Powerhouse Campus. One particularly piece will be going to Evergreen,” he says.
In addition to the playgrounds that are being moved over, Volkman says they still have a $250,000 grant from the province to spend on new playground equipment for the campus. He says that the school council also plans to raise funds to help with the new playground.
The school division owned the land where Eldorado was located. Now that the school is down, WRSD has received permission from the Minister of Education to sell that land, with the right of first refusal going to the Town.
A new proposal could see the creation of a fire rescue college in Lodgepole.
In a presentation to Brazeau County council last week, Erik Ives spoke regarding the Canadian Fire Rescue College (CFRC) which is exploring Lodgepole as a campus location to train firefighters.
The CFRC is an indigenous owned private corporation, which is certified as an educational institution by the government of Canada,
The college currently operates a facility in Alberta Beach. Core services offered include Firefighter I and II training, HazMat responder training and a wildland firefighter program which is geared toward municipal firefighters.
The proposal would see the organization taking over the provincial boxing facility in Lodgepole, which covers more than 15,000 square feet and includes living quarters, a commercial kitchen and a large gymnasium, and turning it into a campus capable of offering a range of firefighting and rescue training for as many as 100 trainees by 2026.
The CFRC also envisions the creation of a fire station and a live fire building.
The estimated overall price tag for the project is a little over $1 million. CFRC staff are working on acquiring grant funding to help offset those costs.
After last week’s presentation, council agreed to write a letter of support for the idea.
Council going live
Starting May 21, county council meetings will be livestreamed online. The County has set up a YouTube channel to allow the public to watch proceedings without having to visit the county office. The link to each meeting will be posted on the County website. Meeting videos will also be archived to allow for viewing at a later date.
Rec board appointment
Council appointed Rina Saar to serve a two-year term as a member at large on the joint Town of Drayton Valley – Brazeau County Recreation Board. The board is composed of two councillors and one member at large from each municipality. Its mandate is to provide input regarding sport, culture, and recreation programs as designated by town and county councils.
The Drayton Valley Air Cadets Squadron 733 will be celebrating their 60th anniversary this year with a barbecue open to the public.
Lamont Cardinal, the chair of the parent committee for the cadets, says that the cadets are technically turning 63 this year, but the original celebration for their 60th had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“We’re now essentially celebrating our sixtieth anniversary,” says Cardinal.
Cardinal says the barbecue will be held on Sunday, April 21 at their headquarters at 5524 Industrial Road. Only a month later, the 38 cadets will also be attending their Annual Ceremonial Revue, where they will be inspected by a member of the Canadian Military.
While the history of the Air Cadets goes back to the 1940s when the Canadian military recognized they would need more trained pilots for the war effort, Squadron 733 wasn’t established until April 22, 1961.
Originally, only boys were able to join the Cadets. However, when the Canadian Government amended legislation changing the word boys to persons in 1975, girls were allowed to enroll.
Captain Tanya Hunt says over the years there have been many people involved in the Cadets.
“Since the formation of the squadron there have been many commanding officers that have helped form and mold the 733 Drayton Valley Air Cadet Squadron we have today. Capt Matt McCullach, Capt Pat Turner, Capt Brian Torpy, Capt Lorna Luchyk, Capt Randy Romanchuk, Capt Paul Spurrell , Capt Mitch Krasey, Capt Heather Guard, Capt Kate Simpson, Capt Gerald Landers and the current commander Capt Tanya Hunt,” says Hunt in an emailed statement.
She says the barbecue is also about promoting the cadets in the community.
While the cadets do follow many military style rules, they are a separate program than the Canadian Armed Forces, says Cardinal. Given that they are Air Cadets, the members spend some of their time focused on flying.
Cardinal says throughout the year, the parents and members fundraise to pay for cadets to go gliding at least one time. They also do some flying in small engine planes.
If the cadets stick with the program and complete all of the ground school and complete all of the training, Cardinal says they can get their private flying license once they graduate from the program. There are also some scholarships that are available through the Air Cadet League of Canada.
He says it’s also a great program to teach kids responsibility and discipline. All of the cadets are given their own uniforms and are completely responsible for the maintenance of that uniform. That includes sewing on patches, washing and ironing the uniform, and shining their boots.
“It’s all about the self-motivation and self-reliance, along with working as part of a team,” says Cardinal.
He says the cadets are always accepting donations, and all funds donated will go toward programs for the members.
Stevenson says one of the perks of making it into pro hockey is being able to choose the number for his jersey. Since his birthday is March 3, 1999, Stevenson has always had an affinity for the number 33. Now that he is with the Capitals, he can wear the number.
Though he is excited at his success, he says his mother’s encouragement and his father’s steadfast support were what helped him to succeed. “She always believed in me. I would consider my mom a keystone in that. I can’t thank her enough every day.”
Judge explains Breton area manslaughter ruling
A Court of King’s Bench Justice has outlined her reasons for convicting a woman of manslaughter in an incident that happened in the Breton area.
New Staff Sergeant is a familiar face
Ryan Hoetmer was first stationed in Drayton Valley in 2017 as a corporal overseeing the three man general investigation section (GIS) for the detachment. Prior to his transfer to Drayton Valley, Hoetmer was working in Grande Prairie as part of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) task force, dealing with organized crime and drug trafficking.
Training officer arrives
The new training officer for the Drayton Valley/Brazeau County Fire Services comes to the position with a background in the military.
Matthew Noad started with the department at the beginning of June after relocating from Cold Lake’s military base.
Near tragedy draws family together
On March 18, 2023, the Mockerman family’s lives took a drastic turn when Rob Mockerman was involved in an accident that left him with second and third degree burns to more than 85 percent of his body.
