GREEK ISLAND HOPPING - The Alberta Retired Teachers

Transcription

The Magazine of the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
GREEK
ISLAND
HOPPING
Raised Garden Beds
Alberta Dental Care Plans
Overstaying Your Welcome
SPRING 2015 | VOLUME 23:3
A very special new benefit for
AlbertA retired
teAchers’ AssociAtion
members who love to travel!
Y
ou will be pleasantly surprised about the extra savings you will
receive on quality travel – including cruises, packaged holidays,
escorted and regular departure tours plus more. We’ve partnered
with CruisePlus, one of Canada’s largest independent agencies whose
informative staff will provide you the consultations you would expect
in a non-pressured way. CruisePlus is an established ethical company
(around for 17 years) and none of its team works on commission.
.ca
Call (toll free) 1-866-877-8277
and identify yourself as an ARTA member
to access your additional benefits before you
book anywhere else. You’ll be glad you did.
If you can leave on short notice, or wish to be more in the loop on great travel deals,
make sure and sign up for regular email updates at
www.cruiseplus.ca/arta
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Thoughts on a
Pre-Spring Day
BY JUANITA KNIGHT
By the time you read this, the days will be
longer and the temperature warmer—and I will
wonder what I was thinking about when I penned
this article. Right now, I long for less snow to
shovel, for fewer bulky winter clothes and for
warm fingers. I know this longing will pass as I
either immerse myself in travel articles and do
something about it, or just plan for summer.
Thankfully, travel articles in news & views
entice me with fascinating destinations—so
many places to go and so much to learn. The
glossy brochures hold much promise, but it
is the lived experience I appreciate and trust.
Thank goodness for ARTA travel insurance and
the work of the Health and Wellness Benefits
Committee that ensures worry-free travel.
That said, we need to be mindful of the rules,
regulations and customs of travel destinations.
You will find Daniel Mulloy’s article hits the
high points of the Substantial Presence Test for
travellers to the US. What used to be a simple
count of 182 days has now been ‘refined’ by US
law. Follow the links in the article to be sure
that you do not have any surprises.
The Governance Committee has been
reviewing the recommendations of the Board of
Directors regarding how ARTA can best serve
its members for the next ten years. We are
looking to the future, not to the present. Our
organization is ever evolving.
I am concerned about what the effect that the
decrease in our oil prices will mean to seniors’
programs and to the seniors themselves who
have worked so hard to make Alberta one of
the best places in the world to live. I encourage
all of you to offer your best advice and
encouragement to whichever political party you
support. We did that as teachers, and we must
continue to do so knowing that, in the end, it
will make our society a better place for all. Such
personal involvement will be challenging—but
ever so rewarding!
news & views SPRING 2015 | 3
CONTACTS + INFORMATION
Contact Information
ARTA:
Member Services Information
ARTA Member Services would like to remind
ARTA members in the Education Sector that,
since you renew your membership directly with
ARTA, you do not need to wait until the renewal
season to pay for your membership. You can call
the office with a credit card number and we can
renew membership in a timely fashion before the
hustle and bustle of May and June. It is also handy
to have it done ahead of time if you are away from
home during those months. For Public and Private
Sector members, since you pay your membership
fees monthly, we will automatically send you your
membership card by the end of June.
All members, please note that if your contact
information changes such as your address, phone
number, email address or power of attorney), you
must contact ARTA Member Services and the
ARTA Benefits Plan Administrator, ASEBP. You
can reach ARTA Member Services at 1-855-2122400 (press 1) or 780-822-2400 in the Edmonton
area. ASEBP can be reached at 1-855-444-2782
or 780-989-8709 in the Edmonton area.
The ARTA staff would also like to take this
opportunity to thank you for your patience and
understanding during our office renovation. We
endured some service disruption, but we appreciate
your working through this change with us. We are
happy to serve you better in our new space!
Please remember to keep up to date with the latest
ARTA office news on our website, www.arta.net
Looking forward to the spring flowers!
4 | www.arta.net
Edmonton area:
Toll-free:
email:
Website:
news & views:
email:
submissions:
Next news & views
deadline:
780-822-2400
1-855-212-2400
info@arta.net
www.arta.net
nveditor@shaw.ca
nvsubmit@shaw.ca
April 20
ARTA Benefits Plan:
Claims:
1-855-444-2782
arta@asebp.ab.ca
TW Insurance:
(Home and Auto)
1-855-894-2782
ATRF:
Toll free:
email:
780-451-4166
1-800-661-9582
retiredmember@atrf.com
CPP and OAS Benefits:
Toll free:
1-800-277-9914
Pension Dates
ATRF Pension Dates:
Available at: www.atrf.com
CPP and OAS deposit dates:
March 27
April 28
May 27
June 26
July 29
Aug 27
Sept. 28
Oct. 28
Nov. 26
Dec. 22
Jan. 27
Feb. 25
Important Member Services Announcement
Out-of-country travellers, please note:
‘Trip’ means travel, undertaken by the insured person,
which commences on the date of departure from the
insured person’s province of residence and continues
until the return date to the province of residence,
subject to a maximum duration of ninety-two (92)
consecutive days for Base Emergency Travel.
This means that you have 92 days per trip; but to renew
those 92 days for another trip, you need to return to
your province of residence.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Magazine of the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
32
Features
6
32
36
40
26
SPRING 2015 | VOL. 23:3
Regular Features
3
4
6
7
8
12
16
18
24
31
34
40
45
President’s Message
Member Services
Executive Director’s Report
In My Opinion
Opinion
From the Branches
Spirituality and Wellness
Money Matters
Technology
Classifieds
Scholarship Information
From Our Partners
In Memoriam
Articles
The Perils of Overstaying Your Welcome
Raising Your Beds to New Heights
Island Hopping in Greece
Are Dental Care Plans in Alberta Sustainable?
20
22
26
28
30
35
44
Retired Teacher Ethics
Power of Attorney
Two Bicycles
100 Years
Journaling for Your Health
Building My Journey
Gotta Get My Steps!
EDITOR
Robin Carson
PRINTING & DESIGN
Burke Group
Deadline for submissions for the
Summer issue is April 20, 2015.
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Vi Oko
Bev Sawyer
news & views is published four times a year
by the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
(ARTA).
ARTA LIAISON
Jerry Stefanyk
Contributions to news & views are welcome.
They may be sent to:
409, 11010–142 Street NW,
Edmonton, AB T5N 2R1
or email nveditor@shaw.ca.
Tel.: 780‑822‑2400;
Alberta only: 1‑855‑212‑2400;
fax: 1‑780‑447‑0613;
email: info@arta.net;
website: www.arta.net
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
Chyrisse Dekker
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
409, 11010–142 Street NW,
caNadiaN publicatioN agreemeNt #40033998
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
The Perils of Overstaying
Your Welcome
BY DANIEL MULLOY
“I’d seen people overstay their welcome and I
didn’t want that to happen at all.” —Bobby Rahal
I
n 2011, Canada and the United
States (US) issued the Beyond
the Border: A Shared Vision
for Perimeter Security and
Economic Competitiveness
document. As part of delivering
on their commitments in the
Action Plan, Canada and the US
are undertaking the Entry/Exit
Initiative. The Entry/Exit Initiative allows officials to track how
many days Canadians have spent
in the US. Prior to the agreement,
the country could only track entry
dates, not exit dates.
“The Entry/Exit Initiative
will implement a system to
exchange Biographic Entry
Data between Canada and the
US, such that an entry into
one country is considered an
exit from the other, thereby
establishing a common and
integrated approach to border
management. The coordinated
investments in entry and exit
systems will assist the Government of Canada in meeting its
objective of effectively administering and enforcing Canada’s
immigration program and
border management practices.”
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Entry Exit Initiative–Phase II
Privacy Impact Assessment
(PIA) Executive Summary.
Go to http://www.
cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agencyagence/reports-rapports/
pia-efvp/atip-aiprp/ee-esphase-2-eng.html for more
details on this initiative.
A common misconception is
that Canadians regularly travelling to the US for long stays can
spend up to 182 days, or six
months, in the US without being
considered a resident for tax
purposes. It is actually 120 days,
or four months, averaged, using
a special formula, over a period
of three years.
The total number of days
includes all trips to the US
in a single year.
Canadians spending more
than 120 days in the US for
three years or more in a row can
extend their stay limit to 182
days and avoid being considered
a US resident for tax purposes
by filling out a “Closer Connection Exception Statement for
Aliens” form detailing their
close ties to Canada annually.
Visit http://www.irs.gov/
pub/irs-pdf/f8840.pdf to
download this form.
Canadians who overstay
their welcome in the US risk
the following:
• Being considered a US
resident for tax purposes
and having to pay taxes on
worldwide income;
• Losing their Canadian
residency for tax purposes and
health care;
• Being deemed illegally
resident in the US and being
banned from the country for
three to ten years.
The rules of length of stay
have not changed, only the
manner in which information is
shared between borders. Border
officials can track all entries and
exits from a traveller’s country of
origin and now have the means
to collect from those who have
overstayed their welcome.
IN MY OPINION
Act Your Age!
L
ast July, I turned seventy.
I had one or two friends
tell me, “You don’t look
seventy!” I know that they
intended the comment as a
compliment, but a little voice
inside me wanted to ask, “What
does seventy look like?”
There is a TV ad for a hair
product that a man can use to
dye his beard. In the ad, the
young woman he’s trying to
impress complains to her friend,
“But he looks so OLD!” Every
time I see that ad, I am offended
that the man feels pressured to
dye his beard and try again
with a person who equates age
with unattractiveness.
Our world is a cult of
youth. Hair dye for both men
and women, available for
centuries, has been increasingly
popular since the 1940s, and
anti-wrinkle creams are a
hot-selling item. We corset
ourselves, or otherwise disguise
sagging flesh; and we are
quick to buy anything new that
promises to ‘reverse ageing.’
Fair enough, I guess; but it
bothers me that we fight age
rather than embrace it. I don’t
mind that I might ‘look seventy’
because that is what I am. I
never felt apologetic about being
thirty. Or fifty. Why should I
even think to disguise my grey
hair or adopt a comb-over for
my growing bald spot? My
wrinkles and folds show a life
lived and are proof that I have
been around long enough to
probably have learned a thing
or two. I refuse to be pressured
to look younger—or to pretend a
youth I do not feel.
Please understand that I
do not advocate giving in to
age when it comes to health.
Like many who will read this,
I have some health issues; but
I know, for example, that as
soon as I stop exercising and
just give in to the pain of my
back and hips, I will have to
wave goodbye to any semblance
of upright mobility. To have a
vital retirement means closely
monitoring health, and, at
BY ROBIN CARSON
the very least, paying close
attention to diet and exercise.
It is tempting to just give it all
up and sit on the couch; but
doing so both shortens life and
limits the quality of it.
People say strange things
about being old. “Age is just a
number.” “You’re as old as you
feel.” Nonsense! I feel seventy,
and that is the number of my
age. Given more time, I hope
to feel seventy-five, and more
years past that. Why would
well-meaning people try to
persuade me otherwise?
What is wrong with being as
old as you are? Even the word
‘old’ seems to be in disfavour as
we describe someone as ‘eighty
years young.’ My mother taught
me not to accept euphemism.
She hated ‘golden years’ and
the term ‘senior.’ “I’m old,” she
would say. “That’s just how it is.”
Pretending won’t ease
Shakespeare’s “sere and
yellow leaf” of age. The fact
is, that embracing the age we
are is the first step towards
discovering an acceptance that
wards off despair.
OPINION
What Should We Tell
Our Grandchildren?
BY NEIL EVANS
W
e like to think we live in a great
province and great country; however,
over the past twenty-five years,
different ways of thinking about government and
taxation—that focus on less government, lower
taxes and more privatization—have changed
Canada. We have paid a price that includes cuts
to the CBC, social spending, health care and
education, science and research, and environmental protection. This neo-liberal revolution
along with citizen disengagement has brought us
to a point at which important conversations and
actions are necessary.
I have been a friend of and listener to the CBC
since I was a kid. In retirement, I regard CBC radio
as an ever-present companion that entertains,
stimulates and informs. It clearly plays a strong role
in promoting our Canadian identity, arts and culture,
as well as our conversations and ideas. In spite of
strong public support for the CBC, the government
has cut and will continue to cut its budget, with a
projected cut for 2015 of $130 million. We have
already seen the impact of such cuts with more focus
on digital and smartphone platforms, with the same
radio program being broadcast up to three times
a day and with many CBC-produced TV programs
soon to be cancelled. We are now in danger of losing
the CBC as we have known it.
Also of concern is Canada’s failure to respond
to climate change with any kind of vigour.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, in
2010, Canada ranked the third worst of seventeen
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members of the OECD on per capita greenhouse
gas emissions. Expert opinion around the world
is that without substantial carbon reductions,
climate change will bring frequent disasters and
threats to the entire ecosystem. While other
countries around the world are responding in
positive and hopeful ways, in Canada, we see
resistance to the kinds of changes needed to
accept the real costs of carbon emissions. Our
priority has been on economic growth and jobs in
the mistaken belief that these would suffer with
a strong proactive approach to greenhouse gas
emissions. The USA and even China have proven
that development of green energy sources creates
new industries and new jobs. What will we tell
our grandchildren about our failure to act?
One of the reasons we are not acting is that we
are starving the government of the money and
will to do so. The 2014 federal budget spending
was at just 14 % of the wealth produced in the
country, the lowest it has been in seventy years.
For the first time since its introduction, income
tax accounts for more than half the revenue of
the federal Government. Furthermore, there has
been a shift in the tax burden to families and the
middle class and away from corporations and
the wealthy, contributing to growing disparities
in wealth deeply favoring the wealthiest 20%. In
2012, the top CEOs in Canada made about 122
times as much as an average worker, compared to
84 times as much in 2002. The low tax environment has reduced the government’s capacity to
OPINION
“…there has been a shift in the tax burden to families
and the middle class and away from corporations
and the wealthy…”
effectively respond to many issues and needs.
Many Canadians, however, seem to be uninterested and disengaged from politics and political
issues. Over nine million people representing
40% of voters did not vote in the last election.
The party in power today won a majority with
about 40% of the vote, representing 24% of
eligible voters. Furthermore, the largest block of
non-voters is young people. Instead of viewing
politics as an opportunity to become involved
in discussions about the really important issues
facing us, people are distracted. Perhaps our
politics, including reliance on hyper-marketing,
more tax cuts, and narrow self-interest has made
people apathetic and distrustful.
Getting past the apathy and distrust will not be
easy. In 2010, Michael Enright said, “Our politics
has been reduced to a level that would embarrass
a schoolyard bully. Division has driven out debate.
Confrontation has crushed consensus. Cooperation has been overwhelmed by conflict.” Our
challenge is to find a way to build national vision
and broad consensus on tough issues. To meet
this challenge, the health of Canadian democracy
must be a major issue for all of us, now.
We need a national conversation on the role
of government in our lives: how much inequality
we are prepared to accept and what kind of
society we want. In his book, Tax is Not a Four
Letter Word, Alex Himelfarb asserts a need to
rethink what we are doing; to restore our sense
of community responsibility and to accept taxes
as the primary means by which we serve our
collective interests, and to find ways of thinking
and of acting that will allow individuals to pursue
and achieve their dreams but also to ensure the
greater good is being served. Can we do it? What
will we tell our grandchildren if we don’t?
Letters
to the Editor
To the Editor:
Thank you for the changes in the winter issue of
news & views. I have enjoyed the new columns. My
senior eyes like the large print. However, I do think
that we do not need such a high quality paper.
Cathy McNeil
Parksville BC.
To the Editor:
The death of Dr. Bernie Keeler on January 1, 2015,
brought to an end an outstanding career in educational
leadership and the life of a dedicated humanist.
In 1961, after receiving a PhD in Education, he
was appointed the first principal of Jasper Place
Composite High School. He was elected president of
the Alberta Teachers’ Association and later became
its executive secretary—a position he held for twenty
years, providing significant educational leadership.
Irl Miller
OPINION
The Stone Age
A
s many seniors tend to do, I have been
reflecting on the backroads of my mind,
conjuring up the long, tumultuous journey
from my childhood to the present time.
I was born just before WWII was about
to explode in Europe. My dad served in the
Canadian Army throughout the entire war, so
my mother was home alone to raise three boys.
Lately, after visiting my father’s grave in the
Field of Honour in Queen’s Park Cemetery, the
following reminiscences occurred:
I had grown up during the war when food
rationing was part of our culture and money
was always scarce. I was the youngest of three
boys raised during these times—harsh times; do
without times. We played cheap, simple games
like hide-and-seek, kick the can and marbles.
Girls skipped enough rope to circle the globe,
played ‘house,’ tended to dolls and kept busy with
hopscotch and jacks.
All of these games were simple, cheap, and
filled our days with friends and good times. We
had the liberty of the streets; a child could walk
downtown alone without fear. There was no
television so there was a lot of playing outdoors—
rain or shine. We lived in a quiet village (Calgary)
where our tomorrows were much the same as our
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BY DOUG MIRTLE
todays—just with a different date. Pot bellies were
stoves and not a socio/medical problem; gouging
was related to tractor functions and not prices fed
by greed; chiarismatics were crooners like Frank
Sinatra, their ‘radicalized’ followers were known
as Bobby Soxers; extremists were those led by
Elvis Presley and by the Beatles in a wild revolution known as ‘Rock ‘n Roll’; and the most sacred
books were school textbooks.
From a wider perspective, the political,
economic, religious and social grids were quite
stable. Postwar societies were slowly catching up
to new industrial demands and job opportunities.
Our community and world at large seemed to be
like a small jigsaw puzzle where all of the pieces
fitted easily and neatly into place. It was stable,
predictable, and best of all, understandable. I
compare those days as being like living in the
Olduvai Gorge where primitive man eked out a
meagre existence because that was all that was
known. Those years, the good years, were indistinguishable except by their dates.
I also view the period from 1945 to 1957 as
a period when the territorial imperative was,
if possible, to maintain the status quo. Small
currents of change were in the wind, but occurred
‘out there’, far from my life—but this was soon to
OPINION
change quickly and drastically.
Then, in 1957, the impact of Sputnik changed
our quiet village forever. It was not change itself
but rather it was more the volume and rapidity of
forthcoming changes. My generation not only had
to quickly act as a go-between from the past to
the then present, but we also became explorers of
a brave new world. We became agents of change
that lasted throughout our professional careers.
It was like a tsunami funnelling a large volume
of water through a small culvert. Adapt or die
became a rallying cry for this new wave, this future
wave, of instability. Even now it has not relented,
but continues its abrasive intrusion into what was
once our quiet village. Technological change is
changing the way our world operates almost daily.
Unfortunately, it brings the bad with the good, in a
paradox that gets cloudier every day.
Of course none of this is new to the ‘older’
generation. I mention these perceptions simply
to establish a base for my reflections as I stood
beside my father’s gravestone.
The irony of these little flashbacks is that when
I started teaching in 1961, I taught a Grade Six
class using the same material that I had encountered in school nine years earlier—exactly the
same readers, arithmetic book, social studies
topics, and . . .well, you get the idea. Chalk
and blackboards, pencils and scribblers, and
textbooks were the ‘instruments of mass instruction.’ Authoritarianism was still an integral part
of a school system’s structure. Beginning teachers
relied to a large extent on the support and
wisdom of their elders, which was readily accessible. Instructional pedagogy was largely founded
on a hand-me-down process. These ‘givens,’
compared to the instructional arenas of today,
were like the primitive chipped stones and bones
found in Olduvai Gorge as related to the practice
that I had just inherited.
Big changes finally hit the educational circuit
by the mid-sixties with the introduction of the
concept of non-gradedness in elementary schools.
Many more insights and innovations quickly
evolved from this revolution.
The reason I bring this quick sketch of the
educational landscape to your attention is that, as
I have told many of the classes that I have taught
at the school and university level, I was born in,
and have come from ‘The Stone Age.’ I have found
it both amusing, and discouraging that today’s
generation is disconnected from my home base—
so much so that I have not yet figured out whether
I am an Australopithecus, Neanderthal or some
Cro-Magnon being.
Sometimes when I talk to my grandchildren, I
feel that I must be one of those hairy beasts from
the Stone Age as my grandchildren are all conversant with the leading-edge technology in almost
every field. I’m still happy that I have just a flip
phone and can send or receive a message when I
want, if I want. I do not text, and do not want to
text! I do not have a compulsion to be phone busy.
Dick Tracy’s radio watch is now a reality, but
we have now gone far beyond that primitive
benchmark of revolutionary technology. Creative
imaginations now have the wherewithal to push
the envelopes of what might or could be into
new realities. Paradigm shifts, transformational
re-structures, shorter and shorter best-before
dates are all common occurrences to this younger
generation—I find it harder to adjust.
As I strolled from the graveyard, I had these and
many more thoughts about my past. I glanced at the
gravestones on my way out of the cemetery. How
ironic: I had just come from one Stone Age, yet soon
I will be going to another. I’ll be joining my many
friends and colleagues who are already at that final
staff meeting. The agenda promises to be heavenly,
and you can carve that prophecy in stone!
FROM THE BRANCHES
NEARTA Outstanding
Volunteer Award
BY PAUL BOISVERT
Larry Lambert and Eileen Vallee
On December 9th at the NEARTA Annual
Christmas Dinner meeting held in Bonnyville,
branch president Larry Lambert presented the
2014 ARTA Volunteer Award to Eileen Vallee of
St. Lina.
Her own words provide a good understanding
of why Eileen Vallee was selected by NEARTA to
be a recipient of the ARTA Award for 2014. “Volunteering seems to be one of those things that just
happens… sometimes with coercion… and often
lasts for years… some enjoyable… some things you
realize will not get done if you don’t do it.”
Eileen’s career of volunteerism started early in
her life when at the age of twelve, the horrors of
World War II changed forever the meaning of life
in her native England. Her knitting skills served her
well to knit socks for members of the armed forces.
After the war, Eileen became a teacher, which led
her into numerous other volunteering endeavours
both in and out of the school setting. Always a
warm, caring person, it followed that helping people
with special needs—both adults and children—was
12 | www.arta.net
only natural for her. Her deeply entrenched love of
her church made it easy for her to volunteer within
that context, a service that continues to this day.
Eileen came to Canada in the early 50s when
a dire shortage of teachers existed to handle the
surge of baby boomers. Her intended one-year
adventure has lasted for sixty years. During her
teaching career, her great sense of compassion
for those in need drove her to bake goods for her
students so that every day, her students would be
able to share something nutritional. Not only were
there mitts in the winter for those who had none,
Eileen would knit toques for every student in her
class. By beginning the celebration of Heritage Day
in her school, she was able to create activities and
make costumes for children from various ethnic
backgrounds to proudly learn and share something
of their heritage.
In retirement, Eileen has made and distributed hundreds of quilts for children and
adults to places where there is need, from the
Stollery Hospital for Children to hospices for the
homeless. She has made and distributed layettes
for unwed mothers who have no family support.
Many of her quilts and other items have gone
to the Dominican Republic. In 2014, when the
Catholic Parish of St. Lina celebrated the 100th
anniversary of its founding, Eileen was honored
for her continuous service to the parish.
In Eileen’s words, “Volunteering comes in all
shapes or forms, and I’m sure it will keep me
busy as long as the Good Lord leaves me here.”
FROM THE BRANCHES
WELCOME TO . . . “ STEPPIN’ OUT 2015 ”
The Calgary Retired Teachers’ Association is celebrating their 10th Annual Conference for Retired
Colleagues and Friends. We’re saving a spot for you at the Banquet on Thursday
and the Sessions on Friday.
THURSDAY, April 30th
Join us for Dinner followed by a
Rock ’n' Roll Country Comedy Show
Richard and Deborah Popovitch have been entertaining Western Canadian audiences with their
own unique brand of humour and music for over 20 years. This Comedy Show includes loads of
humour and famous songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s, as well as comedy impersonations.
FRIDAY, May 1st
Breakfast, Lunch, and a Wind-Up Social, and in between choose from over 20 exciting
Presentations on topics including FINANCE, HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, WELLNESS,
GARDENING, HERITAGE, TRAVEL, TOURISM, WRITING, DANCE, GOLF and more.
Join us at the
RAMADA PLAZA CALGARY AIRPORT
(Formerly GREENWOOD INN)
3515 – 26 Street NE
Calgary, Alberta
Complete Program and Registration Information is available online at
http://www.calgaryretiredteachers.org
or by calling Gordon Cumming at 403-288-5731
The CRTA wishes to thank the following Funders for making our Conference possible.
Heartland Regional
Workshop Day
The Heartland branch of ARTA is holding its second
annual Regional Workshop Day on Tuesday, June
9, at St. David’s United Church in Leduc. Join us
for registration and coffee beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Workshops will begin at 10:15 a.m.
A variety of workshops includes “Cooking for
One or Two,” presented by the Leduc Food Bank, a
session showing how singles and couples can prepare
nutritious meals.
“Cellphones and Tablets” will demonstrate tips on
using these devices as well as answer questions about
cellphone and tablet use.
Another session will deal with resources available
to those who can no longer drive after losing their
A branch of ARTA
licences. Participants will also explore options to
increase available resources through volunteering.
We will announce the facilitator once we have
confirmed the details.
Finally, we will offer a session on Nordic Pole
Walking. In this session, Mary Checkley will
explore walking as a practical form of exercise and
demonstrate how walking with poles can help to
strengthen the upper body.
Details of all the above sessions will be announced
once arrangements are finalized. Stay tuned!
Registration forms are available on the ARTA
website at www.arta.net
Be sure to save the date—June 9!
FROM THE BRANCHES
Dean McMullen
and Marilyn Bossert
CERTA Volunteer Award
BY MARILYN BOSSERT
Dean McMullen has been and still is an exceptional volunteer, both within the community
and beyond. CERTA’s choice for the 2014
ARTA Volunteer Award, Dean was presented
with the newly designed Inukshuk trophy that
reads, “The Inukshuk serves as a reminder of
our dependence on each other and the value of
strong relationships.”
During his teaching career, Dean believed in establishing a strong relationship with students both inside
experience
your own
and outside of the classroom. For years, he has worked
with youth in football, hockey, baseball and skiing.
Dean strongly supports community service groups.
He is a member and one of the hard-working volunteers of several, also serving on their executives. He
has been involved with many community projects
with the Vermilion Elks, the Vermilion Rotary and
Communities in Bloom.
Throughout his career, Dean was a strong
supporter of both teachers and education. He has
served on the ATA local as an executive member,
ATA Provincial Executive, Central East Teachers’
Convention Board, and CAPSLE (Canadian Association for the Proactive Study of Law in Education).
In retirement, Dean continues to make remarkable contributions as a volunteer. He has served on
the Vermilion Credit Union Board of Directors, the
executive of CERTA, ARTA’s Board of Directors, and
has also been ARTA’s representative at ACER/CART.
Dean is still actively involved with CERTA and
the Vermilion Rotary Club. He will always be one
of the most reliable and competent volunteers—a
true asset to any community.
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14 | www.arta.net
For more information and additional special offers,
contact your travel professional or call 855.694.8687.
www.gocollette.com
FROM THE BRANCHES
rd
SWARTA Presents
the ARTA
Volunteer Awards
Ray Bryant (L) and Terry Michaelis (R)
BY DOREEN PAWLOWSKI
A great number of retired teachers provide invaluable volunteer service to their communities and
beyond and deserve special recognition. At the SWARTA Christmas Banquet, December 4,2014,
two very deserving gentlemen were presented the ARTA Certificate and Inukshuk plaque.
Ray Bryant is always attentive to peoples’
concerns and tries to solve their problems. He is
extremely good with seniors. Here are just a few
of his volunteering experiences:
• Member of Taber Kinsmen;
• Founding member of Taber and District Health
Foundation Board;
• Grade 2 Reading program at L.T. Westlake School;
• Young Life Canada Highway Clean-up and
Taber Community Clean-up;
• Served on Taber Council for twenty-three
years and as mayor for nine years;
• Served on Taber Aquafun Centre Building
Committee, Clearview Lodge expansion;
• Promoted twinning of Taber with Hidashioni
City, Japan;
• Volunteers at Cornfest, Community
Halloween Party, Taber Parade Committee,
MADD Checkstops;
• Inducted into Vauxhall High School Hall of Fame;
• 2013, awarded Queen Elizabeth Diamond
Jubilee Medal;
• 2013 Urban Municipalities Association Service
Award for over twenty-one years of service.
Terry Michaelis is very active in his community of
Milk River in trying to improve living conditions and
access to services in this small town. He is willing to
help any organization that needs assistance. Here
are some of his involvements:
• Town of Milk River councillor for over thirty
years, mayor for 25 years;
• Doctor Recruitment and Retention Committee;
• Cemetery Board;
• Seniors Organization, St. Matthew Lutheran
Church (elder);
• Kinsmen;
• Milk River Historical Society;
• Barons-Eureka-Warner Family and Community
Support Services;
• Oldman River Regional Services;
• Horizon School Division trustee for ten years;
• Founding member of Canadian Badlands Industry.
These deserving men are outstanding exemplars
of volunteerism in their communities.
Each plaque has a carved Inukshuk. Below the
name of the volunteer is inscribed, “The Inukshuk
serves as a reminder of our dependence on each
other and the value of strong relationships.”
SPIRITUALITY & WELLNESS
Spiritual
Wellness
I
invite you to spend a few moments considering
the following questions:
• Do I make time for quiet reflection and
moments of relaxation?
• Do I approach life with a negative or a
positive attitude?
These questions help us to reflect on how well
we attend to our spirituality— an element that we
ignore too often in the daily rush of life.
‘Spirituality’ is a puzzling concept that people
talk about but few comprehend. It is often associated with religious beliefs; however, mystics
throughout history and within all religious traditions have viewed spirituality not as a religious
tenet but rather as the innate human longing to be
connected to one’s inner self in such a way as to
live in harmony with all of life.
Richard Rohr, a global leader in spiritual
awakening, suggests that we are ‘circumference
people’ living on our edges and far from our
respective centres. He says, “Living in this material
world, with a physical body, and in a culture of
affluence which usually only rewards the outer
self, it is both more difficult to know our spiritual
self and all the more necessary.” He believes that
our contemporary culture undervalues spirituality
because people do not know how to ‘go inward,’ so
16 | www.arta.net
BY PEGGY MCDONAGH
ensnared are we by outer self and by the external
trappings and challenges of life. Nonetheless,
there is a bubbling energy of spirituality evident as
people seek to be at peace with themselves, with
others and with the world.
Professor emeritus Eugene Peterson of Regent
College in Vancouver observes, “In our times spirituality has become a major business for entrepreneurs, a recreational sport for the bored, and for
some . . . a serious and disciplined commitment to
live deeply and fully. . . .” Spirituality has become
a commodity of sorts, viewed as something that
can be discovered in a self-help book or found in
a special rock or crystal. Such offerings suggest
that all things spiritual must be found or acquired
externally, but they do little to help us move from
our edges to our centre.
French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin
provides an interesting perspective. He says, “You
are not a human being in search of a spiritual
experience. You are a spiritual being immersed
in a human experience.” The more we search the
external world for what we imagine is spiritual,
the more we lose sight of the spirituality we seek
because what we seek is already within us awaiting
our attention.
Spirituality is uniquely individual and may be
identified as that aspect of our humanness that
SPIRITUALITY & WELLNESS
helps us to create a more meaningful life. It puts us
in touch with the courage, strength, wisdom and
compassion that reside within us that influence
how we live our lives and interact with others.
Spiritual Wellness
We may each define spirituality differently;
however, spiritual wellness is considered to be
a willingness to transcend the ego in order to
contemplate the meaning of our lives. Doing so
involves a process of examining how our way
of being affects our involvement in life. Such
intentional examination provides the wisdom
and perseverance needed to help us navigate the
challenges that come our way.
Many of us seem unable to stay grounded
and remain poised when faced with the trials
of life because we give little attention to our
physical and emotional health and even less to
our spiritual well-being. People experience loss,
aging, retirement, divorce and illness, and feel
great concern about such matters as global instability. When we are disconnected from our centre
we often find ourselves without the tools to help
us cope and survive.
Spiritual wellness is essential to our overall
well-being because it puts us in harmony with
body and mind and contributes to the physical and
emotional stability required to manage the difficult
and heartbreaking situations that disrupt our lives.
Spiritual wellness reduces stress and generates
positive energy. It promotes a strong sense of self,
spontaneous kindness and an increase in one’s
capacity for compassion.
The Journey
The path to spiritual wellness is a journey of
awakening that calls for an inevitable movement
into the shadowed centre to endure the sharp
pains of self-discovery in search of the true self.
When you spend intentional time reflecting on
you in your life, you notice how pain, anger,
prejudice, fear, guilt, and loss hold you prisoner.
As you courageously befriend your negative
attitudes, debilitating emotions and challenging
problems you are able to move through them and
beyond. The journey is not easy but essential if
you wish to embrace your inner wisdom. Such
spiritual endeavour brings a profound sense of
openness and expansion allowing for growth and
clarity to emerge.
Spiritual wellness requires practice; therefore,
it is essential to engage in spiritual practices such
as spending time in silence, learning to let go of
the past and not dwelling on the future, being
open to pain and struggles, listening to your heart,
being as curious as a child, and making choices
for happiness and fulfilment. We must strive to be
less judgmental and critical and to start the day by
giving thanks for another new beginning. We must
also learn to take breath breaks during the day and
to be optimistic, to laugh and to play.
This journey allows us to come to understand
that we are a spiritual beings immersed in a
human experience so that we may awaken to who
we already are and align with the truth of our
being. Everything becomes alive; every moment is
our teacher; all people and creatures become our
family, and we come to notice that our lives are
part of a much greater whole. Most importantly,
we are able to stay calm in the turbulence of life.
Take a moment and be in touch with your
amazing, beautiful inner presence and let it
awaken you to the wonder of life.
Peggy McDonagh, Minister of Worship at St. David’s
United Church in Calgary, shares reflections on body,
mind and spiritual wellness—important elements in
her own life.
MONEY MATTERS
It’s Your Money
BY JOSEPH BATTY, CA
Joseph Batty’s long history in financial management
has made him a recognized authority. His experience
with financial matters has covered a range from
structuring knowledge-rich companies to capitalization
of intangible assets.
I
have been quoted as saying that a lot of people
spend more time mowing their lawns than they
do managing their money.
I must have uttered this in a discussion when
I was talking about how grossly complex the
financial world has become. As a CA, when I
bought my first copy of the Tax Act, I think it cost
$20 and was about 300 pages. Now, it is over
1,000 pages. Finance, banking and investing have
become equally daunting.
Is it any wonder that so many people have
yielded decisions about their money to the new
army of ‘investment advisors’ that populate our
financial institutions? Sadly, there is an overwhelming sense of helplessness that permeates
our society when it comes to money matters.
Sadly, as well, there is a mountain of evidence
that suggests our many financial institutions
know this sense of helplessness exists and they
prey on it to their advantage.
So what are some basic facts that you should
know and use when you manage your money?
18 | www.arta.net
First and foremost, it is your money (not the
bank’s or brokerage firm’s), so you have 100%
control over where your money is placed.
Do not let a financial institution bully or intimidate you into believing that, once you write them a
cheque or transfer your money to them, they now
decide where to place your money. These institutions have impressive questionnaires and sets of
tidy, neat forms (that seem logical) to designate
your level of sophistication and your agreed level
of risk. Once they get you to sign them, they take
control and also absolve themselves of any responsibility if you lose some of your money.
It’s your money—you should the one deciding
what to do with it.
When people walk into the offices of the bank
or brokerage firm to discuss their thoughts with
an ‘investment advisor,’ many of them become
intimidated because of the complexity of the
discussion. At this point, many people yield their
decisions to the person across the desk from them
(even though they may not know this person). The
whole ambiance of the building and the institution
seems to create a false sense of security and trust,
even though, in most cases, people know there is
evidence that this trust is often betrayed.
Thinking back to my own school days, the 3 R’s—
MONEY MATTERS
Readin’, ‘Ritin’ and ‘Rithmetic—were the key. I
was quite good at the ‘rithmetic, and I am sure
most of you reading this are equally good at
math. What makes me wonder is why most of us
become intimidated when a dollar sign appears in
front of numbers?
The second basic fact in money management
is that, after you have agonized and decided, you
should invest some of your cash in a third-party
investment—but you need to know there are still
three additional decisions to make:
1. Do you want to put your money into a
licensed account?
A licensed account is a TFSA, an RRSP or an
RESP. These accounts have been established as
part of our Income Tax Act and must be administered by a licensed institution that will report
your status to the Canada Revenue Agency.
You don’t have to do this; but if you do, there
could be income tax issues (both good and bad)
now, and in the future.
2. What specific investments do I want to
place my money into?
There are a multitude of options available
for you to choose from, and this is where the
complexity starts. If you have not done some
pre-meeting homework, you will soon be overwhelmed with the terms ‘diversify,’ ‘risk,’ ‘yield,’
‘r.o.i.,’ ‘dividend,’ ‘share,’ ‘debenture,’ ‘bond,’
‘emerging markets,’ and so on.
Do you need to know all of this? No!
Most of these complex terms are only used by
large, sophisticated investors like pension funds.
Unless you are investing millions, you only need
to know the basics.
3. Should I designate my investment
activities as ‘self-administered?’
‘Self-administered’ means that you decide what
kind of investments you want to make and the
financial institution simply does the paperwork
(for which they charge a fee).
Most firms, do not want you to designate your
account as self-administered because the transactions you will probably choose will benefit you the
most, but not them. A self-administered account
usually means they will not earn as much in fees
from the transactions as they would if you bought
their pre-canned products. So, typically, they will
not tell you about this option.
Designating your investment activities as
self-administered is as easy as filling out one form.
So, folks, think like a teacher, and think about what
we could do to help the myriad of people who find
managing their money very confusing and difficult.
I think that the answer might be that we should
put financial knowledge into the curriculum and
make it a mandatory requirement for graduating.
What do you think?
In the meantime, for those masses of people
who could not benefit from such an initiative
because they are already out of school, perhaps
someone should be developing a new app for
smartphones, or a computer game specifically
designed to train people about money.
The naysayers of course would say there is lots of
information available right now, and that may be
true; however, most of that information has been
prepared by financial institutions and is extremely
biased, or, like the Canada Revenue Agency’s
material, is in a form that adds to the confusion.
Just sayin’.
Go to www.proventurespathway.com or email me at battyj@telus.net
if you would like to know more, or if you have questions.
Are We Ever Truly Retired?
BY DR. S. BURKE
I
n the winter 2014, ATA Magazine, Ihor Kruk
points out in his article, “Under A Microscope,”
that one decision of the Supreme Court of
Canada stated that ‘teachers wear their teacher hat
24/7.’ This decision puts teachers’ conduct under
scrutiny all day, every day. But what about when
teachers retire? Are we still subject to the Code of
Professional Conduct or are we now ‘just citizens’?
This question arose for me after a particularly
hot educational issue sparked a conflagration in
our small community. Many people wanted me,
as a retired teacher of the district, to speak out
on the issue; and, believe you me, I was dying to
do so. However, upon reflection, I wondered just
what my ethical responsibilities were regarding
the local school, the district, and the profession.
Could I give a public response to the issue? Would
my remarks be viewed as the opinion of a private
citizen? Or would they be interpreted as a teacher
speaking out? In the end I did not express my
opinion, either publicly or privately.
20 | www.arta.net
But that choice still bothers me. I felt I had
a great deal to offer in the way of information
and experience on the subject. Was I letting my
community down by not speaking out? Privately,
my family dealt with it by withdrawing my grandchildren from the local education district and
placing them in another one. I suppose, in a way,
that too was a non-verbal demonstration of what
my opinion was.
Common sense and moral responsibility tell
us that as retired teachers we have to be careful
of what stories and opinions we express about
our teaching experiences. Many of our stories
and opinions are humorous, some are sad, and
some are very political about the inner workings
of schools and educational districts. If you live
in a very small community as I do, you rarely get
to share any of these stories because the people
involved are still present and, even when a story is
edited to remove names, people can guess who was
involved. Common sense aside, am I bound by an
ethical code to not relate any stories or express any
opinions about colleagues I may have worked with
or on educational issues that may arise?
What about our private lives? Do we still have
an onus to ‘act in a manner which maintains the
honour and dignity of the profession’ (Section
18, Code of Professional Conduct)? Some retired
teachers may feel that because we are retired we
‘can wear purple,’ so to speak. Certainly, as elders
of our communities, we may feel that our opinions,
based on education and experience, can and
should be expressed. Is there a code of conduct
for retired teachers? Should there be a code of
conduct? Do we ever get to be ‘just a citizen’?
After pondering these questions I contacted
the Member Services department of the ATA. The
response was extremely helpful. First, they defined
a ‘teacher’ as anyone who holds a valid teaching
license, whether temporary or permanent. When
you retire, or change professions, your license
is still in effect, which makes you bound by the
ATA code of professional conduct. For example, a
retired teacher who criticizes publicly, or privately,
another member of the profession is still liable to
charges of slander and a disciplinary hearing. The
same applies to a teacher who leaves the profession and pursues other vocations.
I wonder if this has been made clear to those
teachers who have chosen to opt out of the
profession. Is their sense of moral and legal
responsibility to the profession intact? After
reading the ATA Magazine’s articles on “When
Teachers Get In Trouble” I sincerely believe that,
given what teachers in the profession are liable
to do, teachers who opt out of the profession do
not realize that they are still bound by the Code of
Professional Conduct.
I would really appreciate it if retired teachers
would comment on this issue, or share any information or experiences they may have that relate to it.
SAVE THE DATE!
TUESDAY JUNE 9, 2015
Please see www.arta.net/newsandevents for
the registration form and information for the
Workshop on Tuesday June 9, 2015, at
St. David’s United United Church in Leduc.
The program includes key presenters speaking
about a variety of topics of interest to retirees.
The workshop is open to all and includes a
lunch. Registration fee is $25.
Register early as space is limited. No refunds
after May 27, 2015.
The Journey Continues…
A Wellness Conference for Retirees
Chateau Louis Conference Centre Oct. 21, 2015
Reserve the date now and get ready to
RENEW! RECONNECT! RE-ENERGIZE!
Watch for more information from branch
representatives, in news & views, on the ARTA website
or check out www.gertasecondwind.org
Parents Need to See Their
Children Realistically When
Signing a Power of Attorney
BY LYNNE BUTLER
N
ot long ago, as I picked up my lunch from a drive-thru, I paid for the food being
bought by the people in the car behind mine. When I mentioned this to a friend,
she said, “but what’s stopping the clerk from pocketing the money and still
charging the next car for their meal?” I suppose nothing is stopping the clerk from
doing that, but I was (and still am) prepared to take the chance.
All I stood to lose in this particular transaction was less than $10. I would certainly have
a different attitude if the potential loss was greater. Can you imagine taking this kind of
unprotected leap of faith if the money you handed to the clerk was every cent you own?
And yet, this is done every day. People carelessly hand over access to everything they
own and will ever own by signing powers of attorney. Not enough importance is placed
on the fact that this extremely powerful document is often abused, causing losses that
can be anywhere from inconvenient to catastrophic.
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that the risk is greater when you put
22 | www.arta.net
a stranger (such as the clerk) in charge of your
money than it is when you put a family member
in charge. Well, unfortunately, you are wrong
about that. The majority of financial abuse of
seniors is perpetrated by family
members. This
is not cheerful
information, but
it is accurate.
It’s not my intent here to dissuade anyone from
having a Power of Attorney document prepared.
In fact for years I have been involved in the
process of helping my clients get these documents
in place. What I have a problem with is the power
of attorney document that puts no guidelines in
place, allows for no accountability to anyone and
gives too much power to someone who does not
know how to handle it. I do not like the idea of
giving anyone carte blanche.
Part of the blame for the existence of these
dangerously powerful documents belongs to the
lawyers and planners who do not take the time to
talk the customers through the potential pitfalls
and then draft strong provisions in the document
to head off problems. But I would say that a
huge part of the problem lies squarely in the
laps of those parents who refuse to acknowledge
that anyone related to them could possibly do
anything dishonest or negligent.
Last week I spoke with an older, widowed
woman whose children are already starting to
quarrel over her money even though she expects
to live for many years yet. She said to me, quite
sadly, “I thought my family would be different. I
thought we’d rise above this kind of thing.” Why
did she think this? Her children had not shown
any signs of being any different from the rest of
us humans on the planet. Her unsupported belief
in the superiority of her children is shared by
many mothers—and fathers—the world over.
If clients turn an intentionally blind eye to an
issue and refuse to deal with it, there is not much
any lawyer can do for them.
With the cooperation of their clients, lawyers
who specialize
in estate
planning
can draft
documents
that allow
for annual accounting to other family members.
They can provide that any person acting under a
power of attorney who takes money or who cannot
account for missing money will lose that amount
from his or her inheritance. However, when clients
refuse to even entertain the idea that a child of
theirs could give in to temptation or pressure or
financial problems, the lawyer’s hands are tied.
A client who is wilfully blind to the possibilities and will not protect himself is in the same
position as I was going through that drive-thru
lane—handing over the money and just hoping it
will all be okay.
The majority of financial abuse of seniors
is perpetrated by family members. This is
not cheerful information, but it is accurate.
Affinity Program Update
BY CHYRISSE DEKKER
We are proud to announce that we have
partnered with Cruise Plus.ca for excellent
special offers and fantastic deals on all sorts
of quality travel—including cruises, packaged
holidays, escorted and regular departure tours
and more. Visit www.cruiseplus.ca/arta
to find out more.
Safe Surfing
While Travelling
BY ERICH BERNDT
I
t is almost impossible these days to travel anywhere without the need to access
the Internet to confirm reservations, check maps, read email or conduct financial
transactions. Even if our accommodation provides Internet access, wired or via
Wi-Fi, my wife and I still practice safe Internet surfing. We especially take precautions
if we need to use a laptop or tablet that is on a public network like those provided at
McDonald’s or Starbucks. Unsafe surfing can result in receiving more spam email or
even downright hacking of your computer and email accounts.
To prevent our surfing
habits from being tracked
by companies like Google
(Chrome), Microsoft (Internet
Explorer) or Apple (Safari), we
have installed a safe browser
and a safe search engine on
our devices. Firefox, which is an open source
browser, does not track your surfing, nor does it
spam you with paid-for advertising. It is available
for download for free (from https://www.
mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new) on most
computers and devices including iPhones and
iPads, Android tablets or phones, Macs and PCs.
Our safe search engine of
choice goes by the strange
name of DuckDuckGo. DDG
does not track our surfing
nor does it sell or give away
that data to others. We have
found that DuckDuckGo
often takes us to sites that are different from the
paid-for-by-advertiser searches done by Google,
24 | www.arta.net
Yahoo or Apple. With DDG, the highest-ranked
site is not necessarily the one that paid the most
money to the search engine provider. With DDG,
the most relevant site appears first. This search
engine can be downloaded free from https://
duckduckgo.com and Apple includes it with
the new Yosemite operating system.
Finally, to prevent others on
public networks from seeing
what we are browsing or even
what is on our laptop, tablet
or smartphone, we use the
products of a Canadian software
company, SurfEasy.com.
SurfEasy provides a ‘virtual private network
(VPN)’ connection while on the Internet. A VPN
connection is encrypted in the same way that banks
and the Canada Revenue Agency are when you do
your online banking or pay your income tax. A VPN
is like an encrypted ‘tunnel’ through the Internet,
which means it is virtually impossible to hack
into. It is like connecting a private telephone line
between two locations.
SurfEasy is available in four formats. You can
download for free a 500 MB per month version
that can be installed on your devices. The 500
MB per month limit is for all your installations
on all of your devices.
We have installed the free version on our tablet
and it suffices for most of our usage while travelling light. SurfEasy offers two other subscription
plans and a SurfEasy Browser USB stick for those
who require more than 500 MB per month. For
more information and costs, Go to their website
at www.surfeasy.com for more information.
The most convenient and
the safest SurfEasy product is
the USB SurfEasy Browser
stick. This device comes in
a credit-card-like sleeve that
can be kept in your wallet. You
can insert the USB stick into
any device that has a USB port. The browser stick
provides unlimited data usage and protection. We
use it on our laptop or with public access computers
when we travel. This browser stick gives us peace of
mind to do our banking, emailing and web surfing.
All browsing information is stored on the USB
stick and not on the computer or device. The USB
SurfEasy Browser is available from suppliers such
as BestBuy, Future Shop, and London Drugs for a
one-time cost of $69.99.
As an added bonus, if you use SurfEasy, you can
switch to one of seven current SurfEasy server sites
located in Canada, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia,
Brazil and Germany. If you subscribe to Netflix
Canada, you can access Netflix USA by switching
to the USA Server. By using the UK server, you
can download, install and use the BBC iplayer that
allows you to access BBC radio, BBC television
channels and archived programs. Favorite shows
like TopGear UK , Sherlock, Dr. Who, and all those
extra US Netflix movies are now watchable any
time you want to view them.
2015 Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
Annual Golf Tournament
Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort
$125 Registration includes the following:
Green Fees for 18 Holes
Power Cart
Lunch and BBQ Supper
Marvellous Prizes
See the summer issue of news & views, go to the ARTA website at www.arta.net
or contact your branch president for more details and a registration form.
Two Bicycle Trips
B
icycling at any age can be fun–and healthy.
All you need are a healthy body, a bicycle of
a comfortable style and in good condition, a
good surface with minimal traffic, and the desire
to go somewhere. Even if one has not ridden a
bicycle in recent years, the skill is there and needs
only to be honed.
In July 2013, shortly after Pam and I moved
from Surrey, British
Columbia, to Annapolis
County, Nova Scotia,
our son, his wife, their
son, and the two of us
purchased bicycles.
Could we still ride?
Even though I had not
ridden in twenty years
and Pam even longer
because we had lived
in cities, it did not take us long to regain our skills,
although we were not quite as adept as when we
were teenagers. We have the old style of bicycle
with basket carrier, fenders, and foot brakes. Our
son and our grandson also purchased lightweight
touring bicycles for long trips.
In October 2013, we decided to ride on a
gravelled rail bed trail for ten kilometres some
distance away for a final trip of the year. Our son
let the four of us off where a hydro power road
intersects with the highway. We were to bike
down the grade for about one kilometre to the
hydro power dam beside the trail and wait for
him to arrive by bicycle after he parked the truck
at the end of our route.
The road was fairly steep and had many
protruding rocks. We should have walked the
whole distance, but we decided to ride. It was
26 | www.arta.net
BY DUANE DUFF
necessary to grip our handlebars tightly and to
ride our brakes. Suddenly, I felt a crashing on
my left ribs and the thump of my helmet as I
struck the grassy area beside the road! My wheels
must have slipped on the rocks. The wind was
knocked out of me. Pam and our grandson lifted
me up to my feet. Pam, a former geriatric nurse,
could find no evidence of broken ribs, and then
recommended that
I walk down the last
half-kilometre to the
lake and to continue
moving until our son
arrived on his bicycle.
Returning, we set
out for the truck ten
kilometres away with
me setting the pace on
my bicycle. I dodged
potholes, stopping only once for a moment at a
bridge, until we reached the highway. I felt no pain
while riding and managed with no problem. My
bicycle suffered no damage.
The only injury that I had was a pinched nerve
in my back, which made it uncomfortable when
lying in bed at night. Thus, for about three weeks,
I spent my nights sitting comfortably in a reclining
chair in front of our wood stove. Before cold
weather set in, Pam and I took one last ride of
about one kilometre, and then left our bicycles in
the garage until late spring 2014.
We have often heard of seniors who fall and
break bones. For my bones to have escaped
a fracture, I give credit to Pam, who is determined to keep me healthy as long as possible
with nourishing foods, appropriate supplements,
walking, and bicycling.
CLASSIFIEDS
On July 4, 2014, we celebrated our fiftieth
wedding anniversary. We did not want a typical
form of recognition for this milestone, so I
suggested that we ride our bicycles from our
home in Brickton to the town of Bridgetown,
located sixteen kilometres away. We would travel
by the old rail bed trail that runs behind our
garage. The route beyond Lawrencetown, four
kilometres away, was new to us. Our son and our
grandson had ridden the route and advised us of
the most difficult parts.
We set out at 6:20 a.m. The first six kilometres were good, but beyond that, there were
challenges—steep grades, rocky areas, mud holes,
loose gravel and sand, hot and humid weather, and
biting insects—the day before Hurricane Arthur
hit. When we reached the edge of Bridgetown at
8:50 a.m., we were hot, tired, and determined not
to return by that route. We rested at a picnic table
by a gasoline station for twenty minutes. In the
meantime, we enjoyed a bottle of apple-grape juice
to supplement our bottles of water.
Determined not to return home by bus, we set
out on the highway that parallels the trail. When
the grades were too steep on this roller coaster
pavement, we walked. At Lawrencetown, we rested
for fifteen minutes at our son’s house. Then we
followed the trail back to our home, arriving at 10:50
a.m. We were tired, but happy to have completed our
goal. We had no mechanical problems. However, less
than two weeks later, the front tubes of both bicycles
had to be replaced.
I am 84 years old and Pam has been near death
three times between 1994 and 2003, finally curing
herself. We wanted to show that we could complete
these trips as seniors and also as vegans of twenty
years. We have not been on medication since the
1990s. Friends were surprised that we would attempt
such trips at our ages. We would like to encourage
other seniors who are able, to take up bicycling or
other physical activity.
WAILEA BREEZE
Municipal Address: Manowar Drive, Golf
Park Road, Cap Estate, Gros Islet, St.Lucia
Postal Address: P O Box 515, Castries,
St.Lucia
Telephone: 1-758-450-6559 (h) 1-758488-4984 (c) 1-780-800-9516 (Can)
Email: norvan88@gmail.com
Looking for a phenomenal teacher
We are looking for a retired teacher with
extensive elementary school experience to
administer a home schooling programme based
on the Alberta curriculum. We have two children
- Chase aged 6 (grade 2) and Taryn aged 10
(grade 5). Knowledge of a second language(s)
(French/Spanish) would be an asset. Our
goal is develop our children’s reading, writing,
communication and problem solving skills.
Where: St. Lucia, Caribbean
When: September 2015 to June 2016
What we are offering:
- An opportunity to live and work in the
Caribbean (avoid winter)
- Free room and board in a new self contained,
fully furnished one bedroom apartment with all
amenities (internet, cable TV)
- Access to a vehicle (valid driver’s license required)
- Monthly stipend
- Return airfare
Please contact Vanya at norvan88@gmail.com
with resume and references or 1-780-800-9516 /
1-780-481-6559 for more information.
CLASSIFIEDS CONTINUED ON PAGE 31
100 years
T
his is a time in the history of our province
when families often celebrate one hundred
years or more of having arrived in Alberta as
immigrants from many parts of Europe. Last year,
2014, marked the 100th anniversary of the arrival
of the Ulliac-Duigou-Cosperec-Le Rouzic families
from Gourin, Brittany, France. Upon their arrival
in Alberta, they settled in an area northeast of
Edmonton between Lac La Biche and Athabasca.
There they established farms near Charron Lake
and Plamondon. They named the place they
settled Gourin after their hometown in France.
In 1914, Joseph and Marie-Louise Ulliac, both
aged fifty-four, decided to move to Canada in
order to give their children and grand-children
a better life. There were fourteen persons in the
group that arrived in the area following a seventeen-day trip across the Atlantic in a ship called
The Sicilian and a five-day train ride to get to
Edmonton. They attended Mass on Palm Sunday
28 | www.arta.net
BY LOU DUIGOU
before boarding a train to Athabasca the very next
day. There, they purchased horses and wagons to
complete the journey to the Plamondon area.
Why did they decide to emigrate? Simply put,
life was not great in the old country. All these
young people really had no future other than to
work as sharecroppers or farmhands—a meagre
existence indeed, with no hope of ever becoming
significant landowners. In Europe, there was also
the constant threat of war, which did occur in 1914.
The decision to emigrate was not an easy
one. Some wanted to come to Canada; but some
wanted to go to Algeria, a French colony at the
time. But, finally, grand-mère Ulliac put her foot
down and said, “Either we all go together, or no
one goes.” So, off to Canada they went.
By 1937, Gourin, Alberta, had a school, Gourin
School, which became part of the Lac La Biche
School Division in 1955. Gourin Post Office
opened in 1923, and a store opened in 1937. Both
the store and the post office
closed for good in 1967. So,
no more Gourin until 2014,
when, under an Alberta Culture
program, Minister Heather
Klimchuk, re-established the
Gourin name as a locality in the
Athabasca County.
The families who established
Gourin love to celebrate. In
1964, these families and their
descendants celebrated fifty
years in Canada. They marked
the occasion by erecting a
small monument on the edge
of the first homestead. In 1989,
these families celebrated their
75th anniversary in the town
of Atmore, Alberta, a mere
three miles west of Gourin and the site of the
homesteads of the Duigou and Le Rouzic families.
They erected a larger and more permanent
monument to replace the first one. The plaque
states that by 1989 there were over 450 descendants, but today it is estimated that there are
1500 inclusive of births and marriages.
A 100-year family reunion occurred in
July 2014 at the fine facilities and grounds in
Plamondon. Over 400 family members attended
and celebrated. Events included meeting and
visiting with all the cousins, games, a banquet
on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday, ending
with the celebration of a Mass and the release
of balloons with the names of deceased loved
ones written on them. A notable highlight of the
celebration was a flag-raising ceremony at the
monument in Gourin where three flags were
raised: the Canadian flag, the Alberta flag, and
a flag of Brittany in acknowledgement of our
roots. As well, a history book of nearly 400 pages
was published with 230 copies sold. The index
contains over 1200 names.
The families feel these celebrations are
important because they “help us know who we
are and remember where we came from,” says
Lou Duigou, co-editor of the history book with his
wife, Lynne, and their daughter, Nicole. “It’s also
interesting to see what the various descendants
have done or are doing with their lives.” These
descendants now work in many fields such as oil
and gas, agriculture, education, medicine, art,
music, and robotics.
Spring Again
Let me stand here for a moment—
warm sun on the back of my dark jacket.
My neighbourhood has begun to soften:
delicate leaves against the sky,
a bush, unremarkable last week,
shouts its pinkness from a block away,
May’s afternoon clouds more robust than February’s.
Joggers return.
Two of them—shocking white legs—
pad along the middle of my street.
In the schoolyard a white Frisbee soars.
“Throw it to me!”
“Here! Here! Here!”
Later, in the sun-deprived hallway,
I imagine a student says,
“Ms. Johnson, can we have class outside?”
“Only if it rains,” she deadpans.
Something stirs in my garden;
something stirs in me.
Keith Worthington
from Poet on a Cargo Plane
Journaling for
Your Health
BY SHARON GOERG
J
ournal writing was a valuable tool that I used
with all my students throughout my teaching
career. Since retiring I have led workshops
on journaling for teens and adults including
sessions for health care workers. Earlier journals
had to be created, but today journals abound in
all sizes, formats, and designs wherever stationery products are sold. This article emphasizes
the therapeutic and health aspects to journal
writing that include diet, fitness, emotional
perspective, creativity and enjoyment.
Journaling can be as simple as tracking your
successes each week. A combination of your
short-and long-term food goals—portion size
and consumption—with your exercise program
is a good approach. Types of exercise, distances,
weights, heart rate, and any aches and pains
can all be recorded. There are also many food
prompts for weight loss on the Internet. For
example: this time when I diet I hope to . . . or
weight loss is important to my health because . . .
The more details you include in a food and
exercise journal, the more useful it becomes as the
actual process of writing can reinforce and clarify
your goals. Statistics show that journaling doubles
a person’s likelihood of weight-loss success. A
Chicago author, Marilyn Fitzgerald, has written a
journal called Spirit of a Winner. She maintains
that a journal can work as a tool for self-empowerment that often reveals self defeating and self
sabotaging thinking that can hinder personal
progress in terms of weight and overall health.
30 | www.arta.net
Some websites act like a journal, letting you
track your diet, blood pressure, exercise, and
sleep. (Lose it! or MyNetDiary) You are able to
record your moods, your reactions, your feelings.
It does not have to be elaborate, just honest and
spontaneous. Learn about yourself in relationship
to food, exercise and overall health.
Discovering your inner self can be another goal.
Use a journal to describe your emotions, thoughts,
fears, hopes and life experiences. An article by J.
Smyth, et al., in the Journal of American Medical
Association (April 1999) states that “research
has demonstrated that writing about emotionally
traumatic experiences has a surprisingly beneficial
effect on symptoms, well-being, and health care
use in healthy individuals. Patients with mild to
moderately severe asthma or rheumatoid arthritis
who wrote about stressful life experiences also
had clinically relevant changes in health status at
four months compared to a control group.” More
research on journaling for cancer patients has been
published recently with books like The Write Way
to Wellness supporting these positive claims. The
Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that earlystage breast cancer patients may benefit from journaling by recording their feelings about the disease,
resulting in a reduced number of visits to the doctor
because of breast cancer related symptoms.
Esther Sternberg, a doctor who is the director of
the neural immune program and neuro-endocrine
immunology and behavior at the National Institute
of Mental Health in the United States, claims that
CLASSIFIEDS
claims that writing about
emotionally charged memories,
even for a few minutes a day,
can be therapeutic. Those who
write about traumas, negative or
positive turning points in their
lives, or simply write about their
life stories, derive great benefits.
Often, men do not write about life
events or emotions, but success
through writing seems to apply to
men and women equally. Journal
writing is not a substitution for
clinical therapy, but, for many,
the process can be useful.
Most people know stress can
weaken the body’s defenses
against illness. Releasing stress
through writing may help the
healing process by allowing for
acceptance of feelings. A University of Texas psychologist and
researcher, James Pennbaker,
contends that regular journaling
strengthens immune cells. By
writing about stressful events a
person can come to terms with
them, thereby reducing the impact
of these stressors on physical
health. Scientists do not know
exactly how this process works,
but it seems that the hormones
and nerve chemicals released
from the brain and adrenal
glands when stressed change
the way immune cells function.
Writing about a stressful event
may interrupt the flow of stress
hormones that harm the immune
system and lead to disease.
Alberta Guide Dogs is seeking volunteer Puppy Raisers to
provide loving homes to puppies training to be Guide Dogs and
Autism Support Dogs. This is a 24/7 commitment that involves
providing our pups with basic obedience and socialization skills,
from the time they are 7-8 weeks to 14-18 months old. Through
scheduled visits and obedience classes, as well as guidance from a
Puppy Raising Supervisor and advice from existing volunteers, you
will have a terrific support system throughout this very rewarding
experience. Volunteers must be available during the day. We
provide food, vet care and other basic necessities for the pup. If
you are interested in raising a puppy that could grow up to change
someone’s life, please call Sandra at 403-616-3228 or by email at
sandra.cramer@albertaguidedog.com.
______________________________________________
Roving ChessNuts
Chess Programs For All Ages
IF YOU LOVE CHESS, here is pleasant, rewarding part-time work!
Alberta’s largest provider of chess instruction is seeking retired
educators with chess knowledge to conduct lunch period and afterschool classes in Edmonton and region. There may be opportunities
to do so anywhere in Alberta with support and lessons via internet
and interactive webinars. Evening or weekend classes might be an
option. Roving ChessNuts has taught chess to thousands of students
since 2001, and some have become provincial and national champs.
We are looking for teachers, not chess nerds or titled players! Basic
knowledge of chess plus an interest in learning more about the game
while teaching and supervising are needed. Ability to handle mix
of elementary and junior high students is essential. Depending on
duties - supervisory or head instructor and level of class - hourly
wages start at $25 and can go over $50. Travel allowance available. If
an applicant has other skills, supplementary work in administration,
course development and marketing may be available. IF YOU LOVE
WORDS, our successful formula for chess is prepared to launch a
word mastery program for elementary ages where spelling, vocabulary
and elements of literacy are rolled into fun competitive classes.
Contact Roving ChessNuts: rovingchessnuts@shaw.ca,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 39 780-474-2318.
Raising Your Beds to
New Heights
BY JANE THRALL
G
ardening in raised beds has become increasingly popular
over the past several years, largely in part to the overall
resurgence of gardening as a whole. A raised bed offers
a clean canvas to grow whatever the gardener loves most while
making an artistic statement.
For some the palette will be an assortment of fresh vegetables;
for others a spectrum of stunning flowers or array of aromatic
herbs. Whatever your passion, gardening in a raised bed is simple
and rewarding.
The first step is to choose a structure. A raised bed can be created
from a simple arrangement of stones or any large container with
good drainage. A number of prefabricated products can be found in
gardening shops or home improvement stores.
32 | www.arta.net
I favor building a box from
2”x8” lumber, using 2”x2”
corner posts for support.
Today’s lumber is no longer
treated with potentially
harmful preservatives and
cedar isn’t treated at all, so
even if you plan to grow food
for your family, wooden boxes
are safe and moderate in cost.
Keeping your raised bed
under four feet in width will
allow you to reach the entire
space, something you’ll appreciate when it’s time to sow seeds
in the spring or pull weeds in
the summer. In his book All
New Square Foot Gardening,
Mel Bartholomew recommends
using a box that is 4’x4’ in order
to maximize efficiency.
The concept of square-foot
gardening is that you can use
the space in your garden more
efficiently by planting each
individual 12”x12” square
separately according to simple
guidelines. For example, in
each square foot you can plant
one cabbage, four lettuce, nine
spinach or sixteen carrots. As
the plants mature and are
harvested, the square can be replanted with
another crop. So a radish square may become a
lettuce square in its second go-around.
The organized and clean look of the square-foot
garden is what makes it attractive for many, but it
also saves space and produces more. Weeds are easy
to keep at bay because they fall outside the pattern of
the plants and can be easily identified and plucked.
Once you have your raised bed built, it needs
to be sited in a location that gets a minimum of
eight hours of daily sunlight and preferably much
more. Some sort of weed barrier should be placed
underneath to prevent weeds and grass from
making their way up, but if you balk at the cost of
landscape fabric then consider two or three layers of
cardboard. The advantage of cardboard is that it will
eventually decay, allowing worms and other helpful
organisms access to your garden from below.
Once in place the structure needs to be filled
with soil. A good soil mix retains moisture, air
and nutrients. Although there are many prepared
container mixes available, I like to blend my own using
an equal volume of vermiculite, peat and compost.
I use a large block of peat (107 litres or 3.8 cubic
feet), a large bag of #2 expanded vermiculite (118
litres or 4 cubic feet) and four bags of manure
(4×10 kg or 22 lbs each). The manure or compost
should be a mix of different types: steer, sheep,
mushroom, worm castings, or whatever you can
get your hands on. The more variety the better.
Today’s horticultural vermiculite is not the same
product as was blown into attics in the 1950s as
insulation. There has been controversy about the
safety of vermiculite because the primary producer
during the 20th century, a mine in Montana, sold
product contaminated with asbestos. That mine has
been closed for nearly twenty years and Canadian
suppliers have been sourcing their vermiculite from
alternate producers for years. For those who still
harbour concern, a suitable substitute with similar
aeration and moisture-retention properties is Perlite.
Sample Raised Beds
Another advantage of a raised bed is that it is easier
to access for those who have difficulty kneeling or
bending. A bed with a height of 12” to 16” can be
tended from a comfortable stool or bench.
Wheelchair accessible gardens should be 18” to 24”
in height and have a minimum of four feet of space
surrounding them. Tabletop beds should be built 36”
off the ground to allow a wheelchair to fit underneath.
The final step in raised-bed gardening is
choosing and planting your crop. In Alberta many
seeds can be sown in April, but some of the more
sensitive plants should wait until after the last
risk of spring frost. By mid May virtually all seeds
are safe to sow, although having a plan to cover
delicate seedlings in case of a late frost is prudent.
Once established, keep your bed well watered,
as it will tend to dry out more rapidly than a
typical in-ground garden. If you want to take your
garden to the next level, consider a simple irrigation system attached to a rain barrel.
Whether you favor a row of radishes, a plot of
parsnips or a square of squash, raised beds make
urban gardening gratifying.
Jane Thrall is a self-taught amateur gardener. You can
follow her blog about gardening in zone 3b at
www.gardeningrrl.wordpress.com
ARTA Scholarships
ARTA–TW Insurance Degree Scholarships
The ARTA–TW Insurance Degree Scholarships
are made possible by the generosity of TW
Insurance Brokers, a service partner for home
and auto insurance. TW Insurance Brokers
provides, through ARTA, scholarships for
undergraduate students who are related to an
ARTA member.
These scholarships recognize academic
achievement, community involvement and
volunteer work. Future goals, personal
accomplishment and supporting letters of
reference are also significant in determining the
scholarship recipients.
Degree Scholarships are awarded as follows:
1st Place—$5,000
2nd Place—$3,000
3rd Place—$2,000
The ARTA Certificate/Diploma
Scholarships
The ARTA Certificate/Diploma Scholarships are
made possible by the generosity of the Alberta
Retired Teachers’ Association (ARTA). ARTA
provides scholarships to students in a certificate
or diploma program of two or more years at an
accredited post-secondary institution who are
related to an ARTA member.
These scholarships recognize academic
achievement, community involvement and
volunteer work. Future goals, personal
accomplishments and supporting letters of
reference are also significant in determining the
scholarship recipients.
Certificate/Diploma Scholarships are awarded
as follows:
1st Place—$2,500
2nd Place—$1,500
3rd Place—$1,000
34 | www.arta.net
Clarence M. Goldade Memorial Golf
Tournament Scholarship
Clarence M. Goldade, a retired teacher and
administrator, was active at the branch and
provincial levels of ARTA. Clarence contributed to
his profession as a negotiator for twenty-six years
and as a student council advisor for eighteen of
those years. Besides his dedication to education,
Clarence was also involved in his community. He
was deeply committed to service and a master
at organizing community groups and events. In
addition to serving on many local boards, Clarence
directed musicals, coached junior volleyball,
refereed hockey and umpired baseball.
The Clarence M. Goldade Memorial Golf
Tournament Scholarship of $1,000 will be
awarded to a student entering the second year
of studies in the Faculty of Education. This
scholarship is a one-time award established in
memory of Clarence M. Goldade by the Golf
Tournament Committee and funded by the profits
from the 2014 ARTA Memorial Golf Tournament
hosted by the Medicine Hat and District Retired
Teachers’ Association.
The award is offered in addition to the regular
scholarships administered and awarded annually
by ARTA. The same application requirements and
selection criteria will apply.
Applications are welcome from direct
relatives (children, grandchildren, first and
second generation nieces and nephews) who are
sponsored by current ARTA members.
Application forms and criteria are available
online at ARTA’s website: www.arta.net or by
writing to:
Executive Director
Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association
409, 11010 142 Street NW
The application deadline is July 31, 2015.
H
aving taught for nearly
thirty-five years across
northeast and central
Alberta, ARTA member
Steve Kamelchuk has always
maintained a busy lifestyle.
His career began in a
one-room schoolhouse in 1953
teaching Grades 1 and 2 at
Imperial Mills School, then later
in Smith. Shortly thereafter, he
went back to the University of
Alberta to complete his degree,
then taught in Athabasca,
Edmonton, Lamont, and Devon
before returning to Edmonton
to teach at Holy Redeemer
College. Lac La Biche then
became his home for twenty
years where he taught high
school sciences.
Steve finally retired from
teaching after working at Alberta
Vocational College (AVC) in
Athabasca, and settling on an
acreage just outside of town
where he still resides. While
teaching, Steve became a grain
farmer, which made for long
hard days. During the summers
when school was not in session,
Steve built houses as well.
Steve and his wife Helen
raised a family of four children
who now have successful
careers. “I believe that
education was essential for a
satisfying, rewarding career and
for one’s own fulfillment. I am a
believer in higher education if at
all possible.” Steve and Helen’s
children married, established
Building My Journey:
A Profile of an ARTA Member
BY CANDICE ULLIAC
roots across the continent and are
raising their own families—ten
grandchildren for Steve and Helen.
Steve, who is now eighty
years old, is an industrious
retiree who has enjoyed many
hobbies over the years. He has
served on his local community
parish council and has acquired
a private flying license. He
reads, paints, fishes, practices
taxidermy, gardens, and is
a photographer. Steve and
Helen’s travels have taken them
to British Columbia, California,
Mexico, Halifax, Mesa, Alabama,
Toronto, Hawaii and Alaska.
The couple also enjoy their cabin
at Lac La Biche. One hobby
Steve holds particularly dear,
however, is woodworking. For
him, woodworking was an
intriguing learning experience
and an eventual passion during
his teaching years and in
his retirement.
In his shop, Steve experiments with various types of wood
including caragana, maple, oak,
walnut, mahogany and birch.
“Each wood has its own grain
and character. I try to mix light
and dark woods in my projects so
that the details stand out.” This is
especially true in the wood plates
he creates with detailed inlayed
designs, often with elements
found in nature such as hummingbirds and flowers, but also of other
subjects such as airplanes. Steve
has also created wooden vases,
toothpick holders, birdhouses,
airplanes, life-sized Disney
characters and rocking chairs.
Many hours of craftsmanship
go into each project. For instance,
Steve spends approximately
eight hours creating each plate
CONTINUED ON PAGE 39
TRAVEL
Island Hopping
in Greece
BY STEVE BURGER
I
t is hard for me to imagine planning a trip to
Greece without thinking of island hopping.
Thousands of Greek islands are scattered like
jewels across the Sea of Crete, and the Ionian and
Aegean Seas. Some islands are huge, like Crete or
Evvoia. Others are smaller, like Patmos, Santorini
or Rhodes, each with its own cultural, geographic
and historic flavour. Many are so small they
remain uninhabited, mere outcroppings of
volcanic rubble in the turquoise-blue sea.
Greek island hopping from mid June until
mid September is very busy, with prices at their
highest. People from every corner of the globe
pack the beaches. Hotels, museums and restaurants are filled. The shoulder season from mid
September to mid October and from mid May to
mid June has fewer tourists, and nearly all the
hotels and restaurants are open. The off-season,
from mid October to mid May, is quiet with few
tourists. Many facilities are closed while the
owners and staff spend the winter in Athens.
36 | www.arta.net
My wife and I have been to Greece in both
the shoulder and off-seasons. On our last trip,
island hopping was from mid April to mid May.
The weather was warm, and a kaleidoscope of
color from wild flowers carpeted the islands. The
beaches were mostly deserted, and the water was
cool but manageable for swimming. Many hotels
and apartments had been spruced up over the
winter, so some rooms felt brand new.
On an earlier trip, from mid September to
early October, we found the beaches empty and
the water warm for swimming. Grapes, olives
and fruit crops were being harvested, making for
some real deals on fresh foods and local wines.
By late November, quite a few hotels and restaurants were closed, especially in smaller centres.
The challenge then was not just to find a room,
but also to find a hotel that was open.
A few islands have small airports with plane
connections to the Athens International Airport.
Flying is a good option, especially if you choose a
R
TRAVEL
distant island and hop back to Athens using the
ferry system.
Most island hoppers use water transportation,
either cruise ships or ferries. Cruise ships are not
just for transport; they also are both restaurant
and hotel. Everything is organized, which means
you do not have to move luggage off the ship every
time you land—a real advantage. Cruise lines
operate their own organized tours that will get you
to some of the islands’ most significant attractions.
There are some challenges to cruise travel
as well. Because each individual tour package
is organized to visit only a few of the islands,
you have to make sure your cruise is going to
stop at islands you want to see. An island like
Santorini with its stunning view of towns perched
on volcanic cliffs is a very popular cruise ship
destination. In peak season there may be eight
or ten ships in the bay, which means the streets
of the towns are crowded with more than twenty
thousand eager tourists. Another consideration is
that you have only a few hours ashore. Most stops
are between three and six hours, so an afternoon
swimming at the beach is probably not possible.
The island of Santorini is thought to be the
location of the fabled city of Atlantis, destroyed
by a volcano thousands of years ago. Having
visited here by both cruise ship and ferry
provided me with an interesting comparison of
island vacations. From the cruise ship we had
six hours ashore, with most of the time spent
wandering the crowded streets in the town of
Thira. We rode donkeys up the cliff from the
dock and returned by gondola—a safer way down
since the donkeys tend to run down the trail to
get fed at the bottom. We returned to the ship as
the sun set. I was left wanting to see more of this
stunningly beautiful island.
A few years later, travelling in the off-season,
Santorini hotel balcony
we arrived at Santorini by ferry for a three-day
stay. We promptly rented a car because it was far
cheaper than using a taxi and gave us the flexibility to wander everywhere. We visited ancient
ruins, vineyards, beaches and pottery shops. The
crowning glory was finding a hotel room on the
edge of a cliff in Oia, the town with the best sunset
views. The experience of sitting for the afternoon
at the edge of the cliff and watching the sun sink
slowly into the sea was beautiful beyond words!
Greece has one of the best ferry systems in the
world largely because of the constant movement
of people between the hundreds of populated
islands scattered across the eastern Mediterranean. That said, it is almost impossible to
organize ferry tickets ahead of time since several
different companies run the ferry lines with
schedules that change at various times of the
year. If you travel in peak season, the ferries are
as regular as city buses, but weather can be a
factor that delays or stops ferry travel for hours—
or even days. Tickets can be purchased at kiosks
in any island port and at the major ports of Rafina
and Pireaus (Athens).
When you first arrive at an island, it is a good
idea to talk to an agent at one of the kiosks
about ferry schedules in order to organize your
Patmos monastery
departure. When my wife and I landed on the
Island of Sifnos the kiosk was closed. A schedule
on the door said a ferry left for Paros Island at
1:15 on Wednesday. We rented a car and toured
the island for a couple of glorious days. When I
returned the car at 11:45 on Wednesday, my wife
went to get our tickets. I was leisurely walking
toward the dock when, off in the distance, I saw
her wave to me frantically. The posted schedule
was from the previous week. The last ferry
that day was leaving for the Island of Ios in ten
minutes. Although it was not on our list of stops,
it was now our next destination—if we could run
to the ferry in time.
The islands that were not cruise ship destinations were quieter with a slower lifestyle and
better prices. Often, accommodation could
be negotiated with hotel vendors waiting for
customers at the ferry dock.
Milos Island is where the statue of Venus de
Milo was found in a farmer’s field. There are
numerous small beaches, some only accessible by
boat. The beach of Sarakiniko, with its white rock
formations, is a World Heritage Site worth a visit
and a swim. We stayed in an apartment on a farm
and were treated to fresh eggs, garden produce
and wine made from their own grapes.
Naxos, the largest island of the Cyclades, has
a diverse agricultural industry. The island is
a network of winding roads, small towns and
38 | www.arta.net
stunning views. The beaches in the fall were
amazing with miles of fine sand, warm ocean
water and almost no people. Old Town is a maze
of narrow streets with every twist and turn
offering new shops and restaurants to explore.
Mykonos, an island with a jet-setting party-like
vibe, has amazing beaches that are very crowded
on holidays and throughout the summer. The
streets of the main town were designed as a
serpentine maze of dead ends and side streets to
make it harder for pirates to raid. Standing over
the harbour are several well-preserved windmills.
From Mykonos there are shuttle boats to the
island of Delos, an uninhabited island that was
once a holy pilgrimage site in ancient Greece. The
Mykonos windmills
island’s large city was sacked by pirates and has
remained in ruins since ancient times. It is worth
some time to explore the ongoing excavation and
the Archeological Museum.
Each Greek island has its own unique personality, cultural history and geography. The Greek
people are fabulous—friendly, helpful and eager
to share their hospitality and rich history, which
is the early history of western civilization. Food
in grocery stores and restaurants was reasonably
priced and delicious, and there are beautiful
beaches and turquoise blue seas.
Perhaps, if you are island hopping we will meet. I
will be that guy with a Greek coffee and a chocolate
pastry watching the sunrise from a beachside cafe.
ARTA Traveler’s Health Care
How to report an emergency to AXA Assistance, Emergency
Travel Assistance Provider
In a dire situation, get medical help immediately and call AXA
Assistance as soon as possible. Call first in non-dire situations.
You must inform AXA Assistance within 48 hours of the
emergency, or as soon as is reasonably possible. This includes
events that result in your needing to make a trip-cancellation or
interruption claim.
PHONE: In Canada / USA: 1–888–996–9003
Any other country, call collect: 1–514–285–0142
1. Before you make the call, have these items ready:
- pen and paper;
- ARTA / AXA Assistance ID number (included on your ARTA
Retiree Benefits Plan ID Card);
ARTA/AXA ID number: _______________________
- the policy number, which is 1MW60;
- hotel, ship or mobile phone number where an AXA Assistance
agent can reach you;
- Hotel / ship / mobile phone number: _________________
2. The phone call:
- Use the appropriate AXA Assistance phone number (above).
- During the phone call with AXA agent,
- Ask the name of the person with whom you are speaking;
- Agent’s name: ____________________________
- State the medical problem;
- Ask the agent for direction in having the problem
addressed;
- Ask if AXA Assistance will pay medical bills up front;
- Ask when and how their communication with medical
accountants starts.
3. Ask for a file number, and do not hang up before the agent
assigns one.
Emergency file number: ___________________________
(This could take between up to fifteen minutes.)
Take this information to the hospital or medical provider for reference.
4. Keep all receipts: boarding passes, train tickets, taxi fares,
hotel receipts, cruise ship registration, payments made at a
hospital, pharmacy or medical clinic, ship to shore phone calls,
any costs related to the emergency, etc. You will need these
should you need to file a claim upon return home.
5. Always carry the name and telephone number of your own
medical practitioner.
Your doctor’s name: ___________________________
Telephone number: +1 _________________________

TRAVEL
Editor’s note: As a result of a misfortune
that happened on a recent holiday, Sue Stein
and Mary Turner created this little checklist
for travellers. Photocopying it, filling it out and
carrying it with you on your holiday will enable
you to have the information you need all in one
place when you need it most.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31
Taking time out for reflective thinking is an
effective technique for temporarily separating
ourselves from the world. Such time out is a
chance to clear the mind and gain perspective
in many areas. Entries in a journal are not as
crucial as the enjoyment and insights gained
from creating it. It is important not to forget to
write when feeling joy and gratitude, too. And,
of course, a journal can be used for various
formats of creative expression like poetry, art,
and memoir writing.
It is important to reflect and to assess
your writing weekly, leaving margins to
make comments about changes, results, and
improvements. A journal can serve as your
biggest nonjudgmental motivator and record
of your lifestyle.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35
and thirty hours per chair. “I have had no
formal carpentry instruction.
Woodworking has always been an interest
of mine and I developed my own ideas from
year to year.” Many of these treasures, received
as gifts, are proudly displayed in the homes of
family and friends.
Steve embodies the true essence of the ARTA
vision. He is active, engaged and informed,
and leads a vibrant lifestyle. Steve’s note on
retirement: “I have never been idle or bored—I
have always had things to do.”
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Are Dental Care Plans in Alberta
Sustainable?
BY GARY SAWATZKY, BA, CEBS | Aon Hewitt Senior Consultant
A
s we have reported to
you over the past year,
the generic drug price
reductions legislated in Alberta
and in other provinces have helped
ARTA maintain current Extended
Health Care benefit rates.
More recently, we were
asked by the ARTA Health and
Wellness Benefits Committee
to analyze the increase in the
dental fees paid in Alberta
compared to other provinces
where fee guides are available
in an electronic format. It was
not surprising that our analysis
confirms that Alberta dental
costs are the highest in Canada,
but it was surprising to find out
how much higher Alberta dental
procedure code allowances are
than the rest of Canada.
In our analysis, we used ARTA
dental claims data (by procedure
code) for the past year and
calculated what these procedures
would have cost in specific
provinces, as indicated in Table 1.
Actual 2014 ARTA dental
benefit claims in Alberta would
40 | www.arta.net
have cost about 39% less in British Columbia, and about 13% less
in Saskatchewan.
As a result, we decided to analyze the annual cost increases over
the four previous years. We found that in Alberta, the average
annual increase in the insurance providers’ fee allowances were
almost three times the Alberta annual consumer price index (CPI)
and about 40% higher than the annual dental fee guide allowance
increases in other provinces.
Table 1: Certain Provincial Aggregate Costs Relative to Alberta
Aggregate Costs
-38.97%
-32.68%
-26.89%
-22.86%
-13.42%
This rate of increase in dental costs compelled the ARTA Health
and Wellness Benefits Committee and the ARTA Board of Directors
to reflect on the hurdles and challenges that ARTA faces in the future
while trying to provide stable rates for dental benefits under the
ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan.
All Canadian provinces and territories and their taxpayers (us) are
currently under budgetary pressures. Public health care costs are
particularly challenging as health ministries account for about 40%
of provincial budgets across Canada (45% for Alberta and 38% for
BC in the 2014/2015 fiscal year). The elevated costs can be partially
attributed to a lack of effective management of health care spending
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Table 2: Comparison of Provincial Fee and CPI Increases
Province
Alberta
Fee Change (Average)
CPI Change
British Columbia
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Manitoba
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
New Brunswick
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Newfoundland & Labrador Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Nova Scotia
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Ontario
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Prince Edward Island
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Quebec
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
Saskatchewan
Fee Guide Increase
CPI Change
2010
4.63%
0.99%
2.42%
1.34%
3.36%
0.79%
2.00%
2.11%
6.00%
2.44%
2.04%
2.16%
2.43%
2.46%
2.07%
1.88%
2.90%
1.23%
4.07%
1.37%
(certainly a federal government view) and
announced reductions in the federal government
transfer payments to some provinces and
territories (beginning in fiscal year 2017/2018).
The ARTA Retiree Benefits plan faces the same
challenges as the publicly funded health programs,
including the continued escalation of the cost of
health care services, products, and supplies. The
downturn in the economy and the consequential
decrease in revenue will result in an increase
in these challenges to provincial and territorial
governments as well as to ARTA. ARTA needs to
continue to focus on ways to enhance value and
manage costs within the health services sector in
which it operates.
With the recent dramatic drop in the price of
oil, the Alberta government estimates a $7 billion
budget shortfall in the next fiscal year. This
shortfall may mean some structural changes in
publicly funded health care—possibly in the areas
of revenue generation (increased or new taxes,
or the return of Alberta Health Care premiums
that are possibly cost shared by employers and
their employees), in the area of benefit coverage
2011
3.85%
2.44%
1.80%
2.37%
3.49%
2.96%
2.00%
3.54%
6.00%
3.41%
2.50%
3.81%
2.00%
3.09%
2.27%
2.93%
1.60%
3.05%
3.00%
2.78%
2012
3.92%
1.11%
2.38%
1.12%
3.30%
1.60%
3.00%
1.67%
4.50%
2.06%
2.52%
1.96%
2.54%
1.42%
2.00%
2.03%
2.40%
2.11%
3.01%
1.56%
(maybe a change in eligibility
for seniors coverage to an older
age—perhaps age 67), or a new
provision mandating second
payor coverage under the Alberta
Blue Cross Coverage for Seniors
health plan for an Albertan 65
years of age or older who has
some employee coverage under an employersponsored benefit plan.
This provincial review will almost certainly
mean an increased focus on the cost of
professional fees and the level of health care
remuneration paid in Alberta compared to other
provinces and territories.
The cost of dental benefits will be viewed
through this cost management lens to a greater
extent by all benefit plans in 2015. The average
dental fee increase on January 1, 2015, was
3.15%, which suggests a weighted cost impact
to ARTA’s actual claims cost of about 3% that in
turn would suggest a 3% rate increase for dental
benefits on September 1, 2015.
In preparation for the anticipated dental
fee increases on January 1, 2016, we will
recommend cost-saving initiatives to ARTA's
Health and Wellness Benefits Committee that
will ensure that the current dental benefit plans
will be more sustainable in the longer term. We
will also work with ARTA to open a dialogue
with the Alberta dental professions regarding
these issues.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan Premium
and Claims Summaries
BY SHELLY ROBICHAUD, BA, GBA, ASEBP | Benefit Plan Liaison
E
ach February, the Alberta School Employee
Benefit Plan (ASEBP), administrator for
the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan, provides
members with a ‘premium and claims summary’
that summarizes for the previous year both the
premiums paid for your ARTA retiree benefits
and the claims reimbursements on behalf of you
and your family. If you have not yet received
your summary, please contact a benefit plan
coordinator at 1-855-444-2782 to receive either
an electronic or paper copy.
Premiums: This summary includes premiums
paid to the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan between
January 1 and December 31, 2014. The summary
can be used for your medical tax credit for the
2014 income tax year. Premiums for the Total or
Ultimate Health plans exclude the non-medical
portion of any Emergency Travel premium, which
is not considered to be eligible by the Canada
Revenue Agency (CRA) for the medical tax
credit—25% of your travel premium.
Claims: Your summary also includes a listing
of all the claims you submitted between January
1 and December 31, 2014. If eligible, the amounts
you paid out of pocket may be submitted as part
of your medical tax credit.
Your premium and claims summary is not
an official tax receipt. When applying for your
medical tax credits, you must use the Explanation
of Benefits statements you received at the time of
your claim as your official receipt. When claiming
tax credits, it is advisable to keep copies of the
42 | www.arta.net
Explanation of Benefits statements for seven
years, in case you are audited.
If you are using the information in your
premium and claims summary to calculate your
medical tax credits, we highly recommend that
you contact a qualified tax advisor.
The following list describes the headings
found on the claims summary and provides an
explanation of each one.
• Service Date: the date the item was
purchased or the treatment was provided.
• Product/Procedure: the item or treatment
that was provided.
• Charged Amount: the total amount charged
for the item or treatment.
• COB Amount: the amount paid by another
plan, for example, the Alberta Coverage for
Seniors Benefit or another insurance provider.
• Paid Amount: the amount that the provider
of the service was paid for the item or treatment.
• Difference: the amount that you paid out
of pocket.
TOP QUESTION OF THE MONTH:
We polled our Benefits Plan Coordinators, and
here is the most frequently asked question:
The media has recently reported on
a case in Saskatchewan regarding outof-Canada coverage. I have a medical
condition. Will it be covered when I travel?
AXA Assistance (the ARTA travel provider)
provided the following response to this recent
case in Saskatchewan.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
A medical emergency related to a preexisting medical condition may be covered if
the condition was deemed stable by the treating
physician and that no treatment, recurrence
or complication of the condition and/or its
symptoms could have been expected, prior
to departure from the province of residence.
However, all claims are subject to final
determination by the Claims Adjustment
department at AXA Assistance, and supporting
evidence may be required to prove the Medical
Emergency was indeed sudden and unforeseeable.
Since the ARTA Benefits Plan Coordinators
do not have access to your complete medical
history, we cannot confirm if a particular medical
condition or ailment would be covered while you
are outside Canada.
A copy of the ARTA Emergency Travel
Insurance contract for coverage outside Canada
is available on the ARTA website, www.arta.net,
under the Benefit Programs tab.
Shelly Robichaud is Branch Plan Liaison for the ARTA
Retiree Benefits Plan.
How Does Your Car Rate on the
CLEAR System?
BY LAURIE BAUER | Business Development Manager, TW Insurance
Y
our neighbour drives a new GMC Sierra,
while you get around in an older but sporty
Honda Civic SiR. You both have clean driving
records and travel the same distance to work. The
Sierra is worth more than the Civic, but then the
shock comes—you’re paying more for auto insurance
than your neighbour. This kind of question leaves
consumers asking why—well, the answer is CLEAR.
Every vehicle make, model and year available
in Canada is rated according to the Canadian Loss
Experience Automobile Rating (CLEAR) system.
This rating system assesses each type of vehicle
based on expected claims frequency and cost,
and the likelihood the vehicle will be stolen. This
system assists in calculating insurance rates: the
lower the claims risk, the lower the rates, and the
higher the claims risk, the higher the rates.
According to vehicle data for 2013 and 2014
provided by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the
worst-rated vehicles based on theft frequency
claims are as follows:
•
Ford F350 SD, AWD;
•
Ford F250 SD, AWD;
•
Honda Civic SiR, 2-door;
•
Cadillac Escalade, 4-door, AWD;
•
Acura RSX Type S, 2-door;
•
Chevy Trailblazer SS, 4-door, AWD.
Vehicles designed with more safety features
that experience fewer thefts are more likely to
have lower insurance rates. The Honda is stolen
more often than the Sierra, which is why its
insurance rates are higher in the example above.
Before you decide on your next vehicle purchase,
check how the make and model of your new car will
affect your auto insurance rates. Visit the ‘CLEAR’
section on the Insurance Bureau of Canada website
at http://www.ibc.ca/on/auto/buying-autoinsurance/how-auto-insurance-premiums/
clear to see how your car model rates.
Call TW Insurance Brokers at 1-800-272-5688 or
visit the website at https://www.twinsurance.ca
to learn more about insurance rates.
Gotta Get My Steps!
I
am a pharmacist, the daughter of a teacher, and
a promoter of all things good for you! There
has never been a better time to set an activity
goal for 2015. Sometimes it is fun for me to take a
detour from assisting with drug therapy and talk
about routes to improve people’s health that do
not involve prescriptions.
As I write this, I’m wearing my FitBit. In fact,
for the past six months, nothing comes between
my FitBit and me, although this article is not
a product endorsement. Because Tory Burch
had recently collaborated with FitBit, it was my
chance to wear a Tory Burch designer bracelet
and a FitBit all in one fell swoop. Naturally, I
have nicknamed my FitBit ‘Tory.’
So what is this bit of fit that has me so captivated?
Tory is a tiny, physical activity tracking device
that pairs with a website and an app, wirelessly
uploading activity data to provide me with an
easy-to-understand visualization of my daily activity
patterns. Tory sits in a fashionable rubber bracelet
on my left (non-dominant) hand. When I reach my
daily goal of 10,000 steps, Tory buzzes, alerting
me that I have ‘nailed it,’ and in turn, I get a surge
of excitement and self-fulfillment. I have come to
know that 10,000 steps amounts to a little more
than 5 km for someone my size—5’3’’. Not much
really! I no longer imagine NOT hitting my mark of
10,000 steps per day.
Tory is a highly evolved cousin of the pedometer
of the yesteryear and does more than just track
steps. My favourite feature is the number of ‘active
minutes’ logged per day. While the 10,000 mark is
the baseline motivator, achieving twenty to thirty
active minutes per day fits my wellness philosophy in a more evidence-based fashion than the
number of steps. Another health-related feature is
44 | www.arta.net
BY CHANDEL LOVIG
sleep data collection. Should I choose to enter my
bedtime and waking time, Tory alerts me about the
quality of my sleep.
Tory has become quite a motivational tool—not
to mention a topic of conversation between patients
and co-workers alike at the clinics I attend. I leave
my house and circle the neighbourhood, or pace the
airport rather than sit in the waiting area, or (gasp!)
walk to work—all in pursuit of the tingle of the
Tory buzz marking my daily accomplishment. For
a person who is obsessive to begin with, Tory, my
trusted FitBit Flex, has become my personal trainer,
perpetually egging me on.
Numerous activity trackers have hit the
Canadian market in the past two years. Like the
FitBit, almost all cost between $99 and $199. If
you are shopping for your first activity tracker,
I encourage you to look for one that will best fit
your needs. The Garmin Vivofit has a neat activity
bar that shows whether you’ve been sitting for
too long. The water-resistant Nike+ FuelBand SE
aims to improve calorie burn by allowing you to
log different types of workout sessions (such as
yoga or weightlifting). And if you’re looking for
a tracker that also incorporates GPS monitoring,
the Microsoft Band may be for you.
Getting into shape, losing weight, and meeting
daily exercise goals are tough. An activity tracker can
help. Becoming more mindful about your present
level of activity is the first step to getting fit. As I often
hear myself say in the clinic, “Every little ‘bit’ helps.”
Chandel Lovig is a pharmacist practicing in a Primary Care
Network in Southern Alberta. She works in family physician
offices helping patients and health care professionals alike
tackle the daily task of medication management. Chandel
can be reached at chandel.lovig@palliserpcn.ca
In Memoriam
Please note that for former teachers in
this memorial, the place given is where
they last taught.
Let us remember…
Dr. Asad Ahmed, Sherwood Park
Margaret Hatch, Forestburg
Duncan Anderson, Red Deer
Doreen Hatfield (née Exley), Leduc
Sr. Elizabeth Antonio, Edmonton
John Head, Medicine Hat
Paul April, Vermilion
Gail Elizabeth Holliday, St. Albert
Aldo Bianchini, Picture Butte
Bernard Trueman Keeler, Edmonton
Erika Elizabeth Binder, Edmonton
William Lakey, Edmonton
Leslie William Bryant, Keephills
Aline Marie Lapalme (née Germain), Boyle
Edith Cappelle, Rich Valley
M. Laurette, Calgary
Brenda Clampitt, Red Deer
Peter Lawson, Medicine Hat
David Frank Clemo, Duncan, British Columbia Nestor William Litwin, Edmonton
Sharon Cooper, Sundre
Linda Lewyk, Edmonton
Doreen Cross, Airdrie
Rosaline Link (née Packolko), Edmonton
Amelia Cecilia Drake, Westlock
Allan Maisonneuve, Edmonton
Mary Elaine Dumka (née Tabor), Vulcan
Hazel McKenzie, (née Watson), Lethbridge
Sam Frohlich, Edmonton
Mary Claire Noyes (née Slade), Speldhurst
Jean Funk, Spruce Grove
Rachel Ovics, Edmonton
Judith A. Golec, Edmonton
Louis Pade, Pearce
Dr. Kenhaya Gupta, Edmonton
Beverly Jean Pashuk, Lethbridge
Peter Preston, Edmonton
Dr. John (Jack) Ephraim Reid, Edmonton
Linda Renkas, Edmonton
Frederick Ring, Calgary
Barbara Elizabeth Desruisseaux
(née Masson), Calgary
Gertrude (Trudy) Joan Dunsmore,
Foothills School Division
Elisabeth “Lis” Christine Robert (née
Schmidt), Yellowknife and Swift Current,
Saskatchewan
Anne Elias (née Slevinsky), Edmonton
Cameron Ross, Edmonton
Deanna (Diane) Mary Friedel, Peace River
Elsie (Lasha) Rowe, Edmonton
Kathleen H. Gerrard, Bowden, Wimborne
Thomas (Tom) Albert Ruzycki, Calgary
Sidney (Gordon) Gilson, Didsbury
Garry Silverman, Edmonton
Kieth Richard Graves, Medicine Hat
Henry Peter Simonson, Edmonton
Karen Duncan Harries, Edmonton
Walden Smith, Wetaskiwin
Christina (Chrissie) Emlia (Clark) Hittel
(née Marum), Medicine Hat
Donna Thompson, Magrath
Norman Lewis Usiskin, Stony Plain
Lester Werner, Edmonton
Ranald Parke White, Calgary
Reta Elizabeth Wilk (née Speers), Calgary
Doreen Wilkie, Coaldale, Lethbridge
Stuart Wilton, Olds
Shirley Aileen Elliott (née Swinton), Ponoka
Ruby Reino Fraser (née Rose), Radway
Stella Hnybida, Edmonton
Frances May Hornby, Calgary
Bernard (Barney) Hughes, Jasper
Edwin William Jahraus, Bentley, Lacombe
Barbara Ann Karbashewski (née Trivett),
Lethbridge
_______________________________
Cecilia Grances Keller, Provost
As we mentioned in the autumn issue, now we
are able honour the memories of teachers who
have passed away, and who are reported to us
by Member Services. These are the names of
teachers from past years.
Alice Lavina Kolstad (née McKilligan), Red Deer
2013
Phyllis Leona Bentz, Sundre
Marguerite (Miki) Bryant, Coaldale
Jack Cleveland Calkins, Edmonton
Joseph Alexander Campbell, Calgary
Margery Josephine Kenny (née Murray),
Rimbey
John Paul Marshall, Edmonton
Elsie McRoberts, Irma
Margaret Wilma McSorley, Calgary
Dilys (Gittin) Mitchell, Edmonton
Genevieve (Vieve) Moreau, Edmonton
Amelia (Millie) (‘Mrs. Bird’) Muceniek,
Edmonton
Sr. Louise Champagne, Medicine Hat
Rose Mudrik (née Hawrishok),
Sherwood Park
Isabel May Collins, Olds
David Robert Owen Noel, Ponoka
William (Bill) Day, Edmonton
Lucille Gwendolyn Odegard (née Hagen),
Edmonton
Anthony (Tony) Christopher De Almeida,
Peace River
46 | www.arta.net
Lawrence Francis Peta, Edmonton
Herbert Thomas Pritchard, Calgary
Rick Westine, Edmonton
Clarence Prochnau, Bruderheim
Corinne Margaret Wikjord, Medicine Hat
Dr. John Proctor, Strathcona County
Derald Colin Willows, Edmonton
Sonja Maxine Pugh (née Arneson), Wainright
Dr. George John Zytaruk, Edmonton
William (Bill) Spencer Rae, Medicine Hat
2012
Helen Mary Raycheba, Edmonton
Jessie (Jay) McAllister, Calgary
Donna B. Rediger, Calgary
Anna Alida (Ada) Nanning,
(née Witmondt), Edmonton
Ronald (Ron) Rumpel, Edmonton
Evelyn Rustad, Vermilion
Elda May O’Brien (née Sandercock), Edmonton
Jean Simonson, Edmonton
2011
Lethbridge
Elizabeth (Betty) Ganton, Vermilion
Kathleen Emily Smith (née Finch), Lacombe Enid Olive Bond (née Parsons),
Grimsby, Ontario
Morwen (Morrie) Smith (née Jenkins),
Lawrence Keith Lynn, Edmonton
Hugh Owen Tamblyn, Lethbridge
Carol Gwyneth Setter (née Edmunds), Calgary
Fred Tarlton, Edmonton
2010
Gladys Victoria Thomas, Calgary
Julian Paul Thomas, Edmonton
Phyllis Audrey Morgan (née Masson), Calgary
Muriel Corinne Torgunrud (née Doyle),
St. Albert
Ida Wiens, Coaldale
2009
Maurice (Morris) Warick, Edmonton
Lawrence Allan Modin, Elk Point
Charles Leonard (Len) Waters, Big Valley
The 2015 ARTA Photo Contest
Paul Boisvert–Contest Coordinator
ARTA is proud to sponsor its third annual photo contest. This contest is open to any regular or
affiliate member of ARTA. Each participant may submit one entry in each of the four categories.
Entries must be either 5” x 7” or 8” x 10”, and must be mounted on a rigid backing.
The closing date to submit entries is May 31, 2015.
The categories for 2015 are as follows:
Category 1: Nature scenery in Alberta (not man-made structures);
Category 2: Nature scenery in Canada (again, not man-made structures);
Category 3: Nature scenery in other lands (not man-made structures such as the Great Wall of China or the
pyramids);
Category 4: Black and White (no limit on the subject of the photograph).
Further details, rules and entry forms are available on the ARTA website. Visit www.arta.net/contests
PM 40033998
Canadian Publication Agreement #40033998
Canadian Publication Agreement #40033998TW Insurance Brokers in partnership with ARTA
TW Insurance Brokers in partnership with ARTA
TWInsuranceBrokersinpartnershipwithARTA
ment #40033998
TW Insurance Brokers in partnership with ARTA
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GREEK ISLAND HOPPING - The Alberta Retired Teachers

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