Ten years ago, Kelly Forster and her friend Amanda Evans, decided they would do their best to help struggling people in Drayton Valley.
Today, Warming Hearts is a space where people can come to eat, do laundry, shower, get some clothes, or relax in a warm building.
As a thank you to Forster for her efforts, the Homelessness and Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee had a surprise party for her on June 14. Several volunteers, clients, and funders were there to help her celebrate her success.
Church of God
Drayton Valley Church of God. Our Worship Services usually include: traditional hymns, praise choruses, and contemporary songs, prayer, scripture, and a sermon.
Living Spirit United Church
Everyone welcome. Sunday Worship, 10:30 We are residents of Drayton Valley, members and adherents of
Valley Worship Assembly
Please take your time and discover what is happening at Valley Worship in Drayton Valley.
Emmaus Lutheran Church
A community of faith passionately walking the road of life with the Lord Jesus. Phone: 780-542-5101, Drayton Valley Alberta
B.D. Lock and Key Ltd.
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“I’m very humbled. [I] didn’t see it coming, but it means a lot from my volunteers and my family,” she says.
“We didn’t think it would last a month,” says Forster about first starting the kitchen. But now, she doesn’t think there is anything that could make her give it up.
The entire program is run by volunteers. Forster is at the building every day, as is Jordan Faunt, another volunteer. Several others rotate in and out as they are needed. Forster says the program’s 20 volunteers put in about 720 hours a month.
Currently, the program is offering breakfast and lunch for those in need. The food donations come from IGA and the Drayton Bakery, as well as other people who drop off items or funds.
While the program has been running for ten years, it wasn’t until recently that it had a place to call its own. In the past, Forster has run the program in the Legion and at the Life Church. Now they have a space in the building next to the bottle depot thanks to a provincial grant they received.
As Graduation is in the air I was inspired to write something for us who haven’t seen the halls of high school for oh…24 years. I felt that maybe it was time for us to hear a hopeful message of our own, just so life doesn’t completely kick the crap out of us.
When I left town after high school I promised never to return. Well here comes the first life lesson: things change.
Things change
We are 24 years beyond grad and are now a generation of adults and parents, who are ushering the next generation through to adulthood. We also are seeing the first signs that our parents are in fact aging and a life lived is more fleeting than we ever understood as a graduate. Some of you have buried parents, grandparents, peers, and children and just as hope was a part of our graduation swan song, reality had made a home in our middle aged lives.
With over two decades of adulting under our belts we know that things do change. We make monumental life changes for jobs, for family, for our children. Mine brought me back to Drayton Valley, yours may have taken you away.
Also you may have come to the conclusion that you are not going to be the first female “insert accomplishment”, or pop star or movie star or whatever predictions your high school year book had made back in 2002. What you did learn is lesson number two; “success” is really hard.
Success is really hard
Not only is being successful tough, it also requires you to make a lot of tough decisions. Do you miss your kid’s baseball game to go to that client meeting? Do you uproot your family to take that management position?
Being successful, however you define it, comes with payoffs and payments. These get more complicated when you are not just considering yourself. This doesn’t mean to quit striving but, it does mean that sometimes giving up old dreams is the right choice Lesson three: collect new dreams.
Collecting new dreams
As you eek your way through mid life you maybe kicking yourself for not backpacking your way through Europe or taking that internship in some far away land. Flog yourself if you must but, after you do that find a way to – just let go. Life is fluid, and so are your dreams and aspirations. Don’t be that monkey who is so focused on holding on to what was, that you never reach for what could be. You are 40, not 40 feet under. Sign yourself up for a sport this fall, take a class, or travel Europe as the sophisticated adult that you are- with some cash in your pocket.
Speaking of cash, there is much said about retirement saving and not much talk about retirement doing. Lesson four; think about your retirement.
Think about retirement
You have been working now for at least 20 ish years and thoughts of retirement planning may be beginning to swirl. I don’t know much about being retired but I do know having a retirement plan is more than just putting some money away.
What the heck are you going to do with all that free time? This will be the most free time you’ve had since…well forever. Start collecting hobbies, friends, and interests that will carry you through into an amazing retirement. Whatever you do, don’t just sit. Lesson five: move your body.
Finally as you are solidly into your forties, maybe you’ve had a couple of kids, been sitting too long at the computer. Your bones may sound crunchy, your muscles saggy and you can see youth and beauty is giving way to wisdom and peri-menopause.
Do not resign yourself to being old, or getting old, not yet my friends! Instead push aside the career dominated goals of high school and move you body. Whenever you get a chance, walk, dance, whatever it takes just move you body, enjoy your body. Your body is not only the greatest instrument you will ever own, keeping it healthy is the greatest gift you can give.
The greatest gift
The greatest gift you can give your kids is not that RESP, you so carefully put away. What you can give them is far more cheaper than that. It’s to be a healthy aging adult- one who can keep up with the grandkids or even live long enough to meet the grandkids, who can go for long walks and talks, and who can do coffee visits not hospital visits.
It is not the responsibility of our kids to make sure our aging behinds stay healthy. That responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders and will be the best gift we can give our kids as we continue to age.
We are 24 years out of high school and with so much life lived and so much life ahead of us. Class of 2002 now is the time to embrace adulthood and enjoy the summer of our lives.
The Drayton Valley Museum is also operating as a Visitor Centre this year thanks to funding from the Drayton Valley Hospitality and Tourism Authority (DVHTA).
Alyssa Kotyk, the Drayton Valley Museum and Visitor Centre supervisor for this season, says the Drayton Valley Historical Society and the DVHTA are hoping that having a visitor centre at the museum will not only bring tourists to the museum but also to the remainder of the community.
Along with the local artifacts and historical buildings, Kotyk says one of the best features of the museum is that there is no cost to tour the space. They would just like a donation if they would like to.
Kotyk and two other summer students will be the main people running the museum, but the Historical Society has numerous volunteers who look after the museum and its archives during the summer and throughout the months that it is closed.
“I think the volunteers deserve a shout-out. They’re amazing,” she says.
She says the area is perfect for picnics, with lots of green space available as well. The town will also be installing public washrooms on the museum grounds so families can stay as long as they would like.
One item that Kotyk is excited about is a planned interactive display put together by Eagle Points Blue Rapids Parks Council.
“They have been in and out the past couple of weeks planning, dropping stuff off, talking through ideas. So we are super excited to see the finished product of what they’ve come up with,” she says.
She believes the display will help engage younger children when they go through the space, helping them to learn and retain the information.
Since the museum also houses the archives for community newspapers and organizations, Kotyk says they would welcome people coming in for research. However, anyone who wishes to use them will have to speak to a volunteer to ensure they are using the right precautions to avoid damaging some of the older books.
Kotyk will also stay on top of community events this summer and will have that information ready for any tourists who come in.
“I have a nice little booklet of a bunch of flyers for different events going on around town, so if you just are wondering what’s going on in town… come look here,” says Kotyk.
She says that along with events, she also has maps for Brazeau County and Drayton Valley that highlight different parks in the area and have some ideas for fun activities.
“I can plan an entire day, an entire little weekend of different stops, different restaurants, just your one-stop shop about Drayton Valley,” she says.
Last week, the visitor centre officially opened, and its hours of operation are Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum tours will be open from July 2 until August 24, though the centre will remain open until September 7.
The bobblehead game
Ah the 90’s. It’s hard not to get sentimental about that decade. We were on the cusp of computer technology and many things we did were still analog including camping overnight to get concert tickets. It isn’t very often that you get to partake in rituals like this anymore. In our digital dominated lives, there isn’t much that can’t be bought with just a click of a button. Or at least that’s what I thought.
A couple of weeks ago my aunt and I headed east to Toronto to watch a couple of Blue Jays games, and see Niagara Falls. Of course like a traditional east-west divide the weather was a balmy plus 24 here and a mere plus 10-15 there. I don’t think Chicago should be the only city named “The Windy City,” because Toronto was windy, and rainy.
However, whether the weather was better here or there wasn’t really the point of the trip. This was going to be the first time my aunt has ever gone to a Jays game. She has yelled at hundreds of them on the television but has never stepped foot in the stadium. Neither had I for that matter, however I am not sure I actually ever completely watched a Blue Jays game. It’s safe to say she’s the fan, I am a poser.
There was no greater reflection of our differences than when we finished brunch at the Sportsnet Grill, a restaurant connected to Rogers Center. My aunt had struck up a conversation with another super fan he informed her that if she expected to get a Jose’ Bautista and an Edwin Encarnacion bobblehead at tonight’s game she should be standing in line right now!
To be clear, “right now” was 11:00 AM and “tonight’s game” didn’t start until 7:00PM! The informant was one of a small group that had begun their door sitting vigil at 8:00AM that day.
They were rotating each other out in shifts so they could do bathroom breaks, and get food. They had coolers, lawn chairs, and blankets. All the things we did not have. I thought the whole scene was completely nuts.
My aunt on the other hand was seriously considering sticking out the rest of the day in line.
Why? Because. She’s a super fan and as I’ve come to understand the Blue Jay bobbleheads are a collectors item, they only make 15,000 of each and there are no repeat reproductions. “People sell them on Facebook for like $150,” said the super-informant. Not bad resale value but, no way Jose, I was outie.
We came back to Rogers Centre at 3:00PM, a mere four hours before game time and two hours before the doors opened and line ups there were. My aunt saw the lines and looked like someone just stole her dog. For the briefest of moments I felt an inkling of remorse. There was no way we were getting a bobblehead with these line ups.
But, a quick interrogation of some bobblehead vets, already in line, let us know that all hope wasn’t lost. Based on their historical data, and where we were in line we were guaranteed a bobblehead.
Things were looking up. Until these two people showed up behind us with empty Twisted Teas falling out of their lunch bags. “Oh, man”, I thought we are in for a loooong two hours.
As it turned out dad (65) was an accountant, and often went to ball games with his son (22), a new film school graduate who had an extensive bobblehead collection – 120 in total, were really quite nice and only half in the bag.
Our new friends shared their picnic blanket, showed us where the best bathrooms were, and the cheapest hotdogs.
My aunt talked shop about baseball, and hockey. The wind was cold, but our analog experience, waiting in line for something that couldn’t be bought online really set the tone for our first Jays experience. Not only did it make for an absolutely ridiculous story, there were many text messages that said, “Why the heck would you do that,” it also brought us into the Jays community. Not through a digital medium but in real life, with real people. It is with a sense of nostalgia that I am happy to know that there are still some analog experiences to be had, you just have to be crazy enough to do them.
Partnership grows local trades opportunities
Drayton Valley is one of a handful of municipalities that are partnering with Northern Lakes College to bring a Mobile Trades Unit to the community.
The unit is the newest educational opportunity that the town is putting forward for residents. After the success of the Health Care Aide and Grow Your Own RN programs, they wanted to offer something for the trades.
Corinne Friesen, the manager of economic development for the Town, says bringing the unit to town shows further evidence that the town’s approach to rural education is working.
Both high school students and adults will be able to take the courses.
“It’s a dual credit program,” says Friesen. “High school students can earn credits towards their high school diploma as well as credits towards their post-secondary institution.”
The tuition for the program will be about $5,000 to $7,000, but students will be able to apply for the Tuition Assistance Bursary (TAB) to cover some of the costs. Recent graduates may also be able to apply for some local community scholarships to help with the expense itself.
“We actually got a sponsorship for $10,000 towards those students as well, that we’ll use through TAB,” says Friesen. “Cenovus gave us $10,000 to support these specific students. That money will be going to TAB and will be allocated through TAB for these students.”
Those who enroll in the program won’t just get their feet wet trying out different trades. By the end of the course, they will be able to challenge the first period apprenticeship exam and finish as a registered apprentice.
The setting for the learning will be a little different from what a student would normally expect. Classroom work will take place in the public works building; hands-on training will be offered by the mobile unit.
Friesen says it is basically a 50 foot long transport trailer that opens up vertically and horizontally to create a lab space of 1,500 square feet — enough room to train 8 to 10 students at a time.
Friesen says there are five specific programs they can offer in the space, and the Town chose carpentry and electrical to start with. In the future, they may offer welding, heavy equipment technician, and industrial mechanics depending on the success of this first year.
“It’s a pre-employment trades programming,” says Friesen. “It’s a 16-week program that they register through Northern Lakes College with.”
She says there will be two semesters this time. If they are successful at finding enough local instructors and can prove there is good community enrollment, they will be able to keep the truck for a longer period of time.
Friesen says the mobile trades unit will offer benefits to the community as a whole, not just the students who enroll in the program.
“It’s been in the works a long time, so it is kind of a milestone in terms of our relationship with Northern Lakes College. We’ve evolved it to the point that they’re willing to bring this,” she says.
By bringing in educational opportunities for students, the town is increasing access to hands-on training without requiring people to leave the community. It allows the municipality to attract and retain talent while enhancing collaboration between municipalities, post-secondary institutions, and industry.
“We all need to be working toward the same goals,” she says. “I think this just supports that, too.”
The college has also expressed interest in offering community programs at either end of the cohort’s training. If there is enough interest, they may offer one-day workshops to give potential students a try at carpentry or one of the other courses they offer.
“They want to utilize the lab for more than just these two programs and capitalize on it,” says Friesen.
They also want local instructors to teach the students, says Friesen. If they are able to offer camps and workshops, they can extend the employment period for those instructors as well.
Registration for the program opens on June 11. Interested applicants can reach out to the town at 780-514-2200 to find out how to apply.
I have seen the future and it’s slightly disappointing
I come from a generation that thought the microwave oven was the pinnacle of human achievement. And as for the fax machine? Oh, Lordy, what a time to be alive!
But now, a mere five and a bit decades later, the machines are on the rise. Artificial Intelligence is here. The robots are coming!
AI can do a lot of things. Those things include writing. And writing is what I do too.
I’ve steered well clear of using AI in my work, because, frankly, using it as a journalist feels fundamentally dishonest. It’s like getting your mom to do your homework.
But I have an enquiring mind. I want to know. So I decided to take a peek at what the machine mind could come up with.
There’s a tempting little button at the bottom of the page on which I create my weekly quota of wit, wisdom, and whimsy. I clicked on it, and it came back with a cheerful invitation: ‘Describe any changes you want to make.’
Well, with a half finished document and a deadline approaching, you don’t have to ask me twice.
Make this longer,’ I typed. ‘And funnier.’
The AI dutifully spat out its revised text. I read it and it made me sad. I suppose achieving one out of two isn’t bad for a machine. It certainly made it longer. But the language was all wrong and the humour was about as funny as a rectal exam from a leper.
In my work as a columnist I always aim for that sweet spot on the dividing line between ‘smartassed’ and ‘snarky.’ The trick is to try to sound like you don’t care who you offend while simultaneously being very, very careful not to actually offend anyone at all.
AI’s contribution certainly succeeded in adding length. The tone was also close to spot-on. It sounded like a man in late middle age trying to get things done in a hurry so he can head off to the pub.
But AI’s composition included very little wit and hardly any whimsy at all. And while the words sort of made sense, it almost looked like something that had been written in another language and then translated into English by someone with his mind on other things.
It’s not that my own work is any kind of masterpiece. Most weeks, if I manage to come up with something I’d rate as a six out of ten I’m happy. I’m not sure I’ve ever written anything that deserves more than an eight. But AI’s efforts looked more than a little garbled and, where it did make sense, it was more than a little cliched. And as a journalist, I avoid cliches like the plague.
So my plan to spend the remaining time between now and retirement sitting on a beach, occasionally instructing my computer to write 500 words complaining about potholes/taxes/the weather is on hold for now. AI may be the future, but it’s got a long way to go before it can match the miracle of the microwave.
Local ballplayer moving up
Local baseball player, Caedyn Colford, has recently started his summer baseball season playing in front of thousands of Edmonton Riverhawks fans.
Colford has been playing baseball since he was three-years-old. He has been playing college-level baseball in the United States for a few years. Two years ago, he decided to move closer to home. Now he plays baseball year-round between two different teams.
“It was pretty cool, a little nerve-wracking,” says Colford. “I’ve never played in front of 6,000 fans. It was a really cool experience, and being able to do it in front of friends and family made it that much better.”
Since the fall of 2023, Colford has been playing for the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks, which runs under the Canadian College Baseball Conference, during the school year, and the Edmonton Riverhawks in the West Coast League over the summer. During the 2026 season, Colford set a new record for single-season home runs with 15 home runs, and the team took silver at the finals in Lethbridge May 21-24.
Jake Lanferman, the head coach for both the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks and the Edmonton Riverhawks, says he was impressed by Colford’s performance.
“He had 12 [home runs] in the regular season, and three in the playoffs,” says Lanferman. “He had a really strong year.”
The ERH play in the West Coast League, says Lanferman, and by playing for the Riverhawks, Colford will be performing in front of scouts for Major League Baseball.
“He’s always had power in his bat,” says Lanferman. “This year he really showcased that well. He led the team in multiple categories, but he also led the team as a leader off the field.”
Lanferman says as coach for the Hawks and the Riverhawks, he gets to see the local talent and tries to bring on as many of them as he can for the Riverhawks, though there are players from other areas as well.
“He’s got a strong glove; he’s a power hitter; he changes approaches here, so he hits for more contact and more average, too,” says Lanferman. “He’s done a really good job of promoting himself and playing good baseball.”
Colford says playing for the league can be tough, but he tries to stay humble and not let his success go to his head.
One of the main reasons he decided to stay in Edmonton was that he wanted to attend the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Currently, he’s enrolled in their electrical program and works a job while playing baseball.
Colford’s mother, Krista, says the family loves having him close to home.
“There’s nothing better than watching your kids play a sport that they love and succeed,” she says.
Krista says the dream of these players is to just continue playing baseball. Having them in their own backyard allows them to play the sport they love without having to be away from the support of loved ones.
“The skill level and quality of baseball that these kids are playing here is equivalent to playing junior college baseball in the States,” says Krista.
The next home game for the Riverhawks is on June 9. Tickets can be purchased on their website, www.riverhawksbaseball.com.
Forster says there are more than 20 people who use the program right now, which is lower than it was before the evacuation. She says some people haven’t yet returned to the community.
Over the years, Forster estimates that she’s served tens of thousands of meals.
Helping her celebrate her achievement was one of her clients, John.
“She saved my life,” he says. “It helped me out quite a bit, actually.” When he was down on hard times, he says he wasn’t even aware of Warming Hearts at first.
“Sometimes I think we’re the best kept secret in the community,” says Forster.
John says that the program helped bring him out of his depression.
“I’m a firm believer that feeding a person a hot meal and giving them a warm bed at night will help.”
Volunteer Marguerite Geilen has only recently started with the program, but she says it’s been a rewarding experience. When she heard about it through her church, Geilen decided that since she was retired she could devote more of her time to helping others.
“It has opened up my eyes big time,” says Geilen. “I was raised quite sheltered, I guess.”
She says through her time with the program she’s felt herself developing more compassion, empathy, and love for everyone.
“I feel like we’re all just one bad decision or really hard trauma away from being in the same place,” says Amanda Dow, another volunteer. “It’s that easy. You can wake up to find out something happened that day and it’s all over.”
Dow says sometimes just a kind face can make a difference for those who are struggling.
Forster and the volunteers at the facility encourage people to come in and spend their time helping others. She says they are always open to having volunteers join the program.
To the Class of 2002
As Graduation is in the air I was inspired to write something for us who haven’t seen the halls of high school for oh…24 years. I felt that maybe it was time for us to hear a hopeful message of our own, just so life doesn’t completely kick the crap out of us.
Museum a place to visit this summer
The Drayton Valley Museum is also operating as a Visitor Centre this year thanks to funding from the Drayton Valley Hospitality and Tourism Authority (DVHTA).
The bobblehead game
Ah the 90’s. It’s hard not to get sentimental about that decade. We were on the cusp of computer technology and many things we did were still analog including camping overnight to get concert tickets.
Partnership grows local trades opportunities
Drayton Valley is one of a handful of municipalities that are partnering with Northern Lakes College to bring a Mobile Trades Unit to the community.
