May 31 – DND Funding Announcement – Laurie went to the Edmonton Garrison to announce $20 million in funding over two years to help train our soldiers for what they will face on their mission in Afghanistan.  The money will be spent to provide realistic training scenarios for their workup training at Wainwright and other locations.

Delivering the dough.

May 31 – Aga Khan Foundation Breakfast – Laurie joined a large gathering at the Alberta Legislature to celebrate the humanitarian achievements of the AGA Khan Foundation.  Aga Khan Foundation Canada is a non-profit international agency that supports social development programs in Asia and Africa . As a member of the world-wide Aga Khan Development Network, the Foundation works to address the root causes of poverty: finding and sharing “Smart Solutions” that help improve the quality of life for poor communities.

With Provincial Minister Gene Zwozdesky and some of the volunteers.

May 30 – Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble – Laurie and Judy were guests at a dinner performance of the Volya Ukrainian dance Ensemble.  This colourful and dynamic dance troupe keeps alive the traditions of Ukrainian folk dancing in a spectacular fashion.

What a colourful crew!

May 30 – Photographic Association of Edmonton Exhibit – Laurie brought greetings and cut the ribbon at the annual exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum.  There were some truly amazing works of photographic art on display.

May 30 – More door knocking.

May 21 – Town Hall Meeting – Laurie hosted another in the series of Town Hall Meetings that have been held at regular intervals.  It’s an opportunity for people to come and learn about the latest political happenings and to get questions answered.

Answering questions.

May 21 – Speaking to Alberta Pages – Laurie spent time with the pages who serve in the Alberta Legislature talking about political life and answering some very good questions about what it is like to serve the public.  These are very bright young people with promising futures.

A fine group of young people – and one old guy.

May 21 – Downtown Business Association Spring Luncheon – Laurie brought greetings to this annual event that celebrates the dynamic business association that does so much to promote business in our city.  Global TV’s Linda Steele hosted the event and the large crowd enjoyed an excellent meal and a lot of fun.

Making remarks which Linda Steele seems to enjoy.

May 21 – Heart and Stroke Foundation – Laurie attended a major funding announcement by Boston Pizza to the Heart and Stroke Foundation for over $1 million to supply portable heart defibrilators in places like hockey rinks.  These devices have saved lives in the past when people have suffered from cardiac arrest. 

Demonstrating the operation.

May 21 – Sherwood Park Chanber of Commerce – Laurie stood in for MP Tim Uppal and addressed a meeting of the Sherwood Park Chamber of Commerce business networking group.  This is a diverse group of engaged business people and everyone enjoyed the breakfast , remarks and Q&A session.

Speaking to the Chamber.

May 20 – Maple Flag Visit – Laurie escorted a group of six Edmontonians for a day visit to 4 Wing Cold Lake and an inside look at Exercise Maple Flag.  Maple Flag is a multi-national annual training event that attracts participants from NATO and around the world.  

Two vintage German Air Force Phantoms get airborne.

 
The group with a 410 Squadron CF-18 Hornet.

May 19 – Welcome Minister of Natural Resources – Laurie and the a group of members welcomed to our city the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources.  Minister Raitt has  avery tough file that she is handling very well.

Minister Raitt discussing Natural Resources issues.

May 19 – Constituency Day – Laurie spent several hours in one of his regularly scheduled Constituency Days listening to concerns of the people of Edmonton Centre.  Our staff work very hard to resl;ove issues for our constituents and there are hundreds of files in process at any given time.

May 16 – Door knocking – Laurie hit the streets of west Edmonton with a team volunteers for one of his regular visits with constituents at their doors.

May 16 – Esquao Awards – Laurie and Judy attended the annual Esquao Awards banquet to honour aboriginal women who have made a difference in their communities – “Angels among us”.  Laurie presented awards and gave his best shot at making  a portion of his remarks in Cree.

With Elder Nellie Carlson, Muriel Stanley Venne and the colour guard.

May 16 – Opening 104 Street Market – Laurie joined a host of other politicians and local dignitaries in ringing the opening bells for the 104^th Street Market.  There was a huge crowd in beautiful weather to kick off the summer enjoyment of this market which has been judged among the Top 10 in all of Canada.

Ring dem bells.

May 10 – 408 Squadron returns – Laurie went out to the Edmonton International Airport to welcome home the last contingent from 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron after their six-month tour in Afghanistan ended.  The 408 Sqn mission continues from Kandahar Airfield as they operate their Chinook and Griffon helicopters in support of our ground troops.

May 9 – Edmonton Consular Ball – Laurie and Judy joined the Edmonton Consular Corps and their guests for this annual gala.  The Consuls promote trade and cultural relations with the countries that they represent.

May 9 – Somaliland Independence Day – Laurie and Judy joined a large crowd of their friends from the Somaliland community as they celebrated 18 years of independence from Somalia.  Food, music and dance are always highlights of this important day in the lives of these Edmontonians.

May 9 – Concordia Convocation – Laurie was honoured to give the Convocation Address at the annual Concordia University College Graduation Ceremony.  341 graduates crossed the stage to receive their degrees.

Addressing the graduates and their families.

May 9 – M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ fr Crohn’s and Colitis – Laurie flipped burgers and dogs for the third year in a row at M&M Meat Shops in Meadowlark and Oliver Square in support of funding research into these debilitating diseases.

With other volunteer burger and dog flippers.

May 3 – BMO Vancouver Marathon – Laurie and Judy flew to Vancouver to take part in the half-marathon event with their daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Jeff.  Nearly 13,000 runners and walkers took part.  This was a good event to help train Laurie up for his 172 km, four-day march in Nijmegen, Holland in July.

With their medals.

 
Edmonton’s Kim Leberkmo finished fourth out of 1280 women in the full marathon.

May 1 – Universiade Games 2015 Bid Committee – Laurie joined several  other MPs and organizers and supporters of The University of Alberta’s bid for the 2015 Universiade Games in hosting the Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire Bid Committee on their site visit to Edmonton.  The visitors were very impressed with the professionalism and strength of the Edmonton bid.   Unfortunatley, the decision was later taken to award the Games to South Korea, but everyone involved should be proud of the effort.

Apr 25 – 26 – Comox Centennial of Flight Celebration – Laurie flew to Comox, BC to represent the Government of Canada at a large celebration of the first one hundred years of powered flight in Canada.   The event was also the 50^th anniversary of Canada’s legendary formation aerobatic team of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s – the RCAF Golden Hawks.  The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the CF-18 and a restored Canadair F-86 Sabre performed for an appreciative crowd of veterans, serving members and their families.  Vintage Wings of Gatineau, QC is largely responsible for the project to restore the Golden Hawk F-86 to its former glory.

Golden Hawk Sabre – what a beauty!

Where’s the keys to this baby?

With former Golden Hawks (l-r) Al Young, Ralph Annis and Jack Frazer (former Member of Parliament)

Addressing the crowd.

Apr 25 – Edmonton United Services Institute – Laurie attended this event with the theme of “Afghanistan- Keeping the Promise”.  A large crowd enjoyed an excellent presentation by Lauryn Oates, a young lady of 27 who has been advocating for women’s rights in countries like Afghanistan for over a decade.  Laurie introduced Minister of National Defence the Honourable Peter MacKay and Chief of the Defence Staff General Walt  Natynczyk, both of whom gave in-depth presentations that were very well received.

Apr 25 – ANZAC Day – Laurie got up early and went to City Hall to take part in the annual ANZAC Day ceremony.  ANZAC Day is celebrated each April 25^th and it commemorates the sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand forces in the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I.  More recently, it has also been used to remember all 60,000 Australians and 18,000 New Zealanders soldiers lost in all wars in service to their countries.  Of interest is the fact that the Royal Newfoundland Regiment also served with valour at Gallipoli.

Addressing the dawn parade.

Apr 22 – 23 – Visit to Washington DC – Laurie and the Special Committee on Afghanistan spent  a very full day in The U.S. Capitol speaking with officials at the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Canadian Embassy, and other groups.  The topics of discussion centred on the United Nations / NATO mission in Afghanistan and the direction that the new U.S. Administration is taking.  This will obviously have a significant impact on how Canada conducts its part of the operation.  The message on all sides was one of commitment and cautious optimism, while acknowledging the challenges that remain.

Apr 18 – Sixtieth Anniversary of 700 Wing AFAC – Laurie and Judy joined many old friends for this milestone in the history of 700 Wing of the Air Force Association of Canada.  The Association’s goal is to sustain the interest of all Canadians in aerospace issues and the country’s air force.  Laurie delivered remarks on the history and future of the Air Force and the joy of flight.

Reminiscing.

 
Gift of a picture of the Highway of Heroes from 700 Wing President Alex Richards and his daughter Val.

Apr 18 – Silver Hair Gala - Laurie and Judy stopped by for cocktails at this first annual event whose name is pretty self-explanatory.  Seniors are playing an increasingly important role in Canada and will be a big part of our economic and political future.

Apr 18 – Door knocking – Laurie and his volunteers hit the bricks for one of their regular afternoons of visiting with constituents on their door steps.  People are always a bit surprised to see politicians at their doors when there is no election on, but they do appreciate the opportunity to express their views in a very personal way.

Apr 18 – Citizenship Court – Laurie made another of his regular appearances to participate in the swearing in of new Canadians.  This particular event was held in conjunction with Law Day and saw fifty new Canadians from two dozen countries take the oath.  Laurie brought welcome greetings in each of their languages.

With Sheriff J.J., Sergeant Medley and a happy new Canadian.

Apr 18 – Great Canadian Geography Challenge – Laurie was one of the speakers at the Opening Ceremony of the Great Canadian Geography Challenge at Ottwell Junior High School.  After 14 successful years and over 2 million student participants, the Geography Challenge continues to build interest in geography among young Canadians by allowing them to test their knowledge in friendly competition.  Successful competitors at the provincial level can go on to national and international events.

Apr 17 - Men of Honour – Laurie and Judy attended and brought greetings to this annual event to recognize men who have made a difference in their communities by fostering healthy relationships, creating opportunities, strengthening families and helping the vulnerable.  This year, twelve Men of Honour were recognized.  The event is sponsored by the Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation of Edmonton whose vision is a community where there is hope, respect and transformation for individuals, families and communities affected by sexual exploitation.  Learn more at www.paafe.org.

Apr 17 – Commissionaires Awards Banquet – Laurie and Judy joined the Commissionaires for cocktails before their annual event to recognize individual treatment among their ranks.  The Commissionaire’s mandate is “To promote the cause of Commissionaires by the creation of meaningful employment opportunities for former members of the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and others who wish to contribute to the security and well-being of Canadians.”  Commissionaires was founded in Canada in 1925 following the First World War when there was no social safety net for soldiers who, upon completion of their service, found themselves without employment. Commissionaires was created, first in Montreal, then in Toronto and Vancouver, to look after these men and women and provide them with transitional or permanent jobs, primarily in the security field. In the early years, these jobs most frequently involved guarding government institutions. From 1925 to 1948 Commissionaires expanded all across Canada. Today there are a total of 17 divisions representing all the provinces of Canada and three territories.  Commissionaires number over 19,000.

Apr 16 – Laurie and Judy attended the Food for all Seasons Gala at the Sutton Place Hotel.  The annual event raises funds in support of the Edmonton Food Bank and Laurie did his part by taking home a significant live auction item.  The food bank’s Mission Statement is “To be stewards in the collection of surplus and donated food for the effective distribution, free of charge, to people in need in our community while seeking solutions to the causes of hunger.”  To help, please visit www.edmontonsfoodbank.com. 

Apr 15 – Federal Public Service Employment Program – Laurie went to Norquest College to announce $20 million in new funding for student jobs.  As part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is increasing funding to federal public service student employment programs to help Canadian students across the country acquire skills and work experience. Canada’s Economic Action Plan is providing $20 million, over the next two years, to enhance federal public service student employment which last year resulted in the hiring of 23,000 post-secondary students.  This additional funding will create new job opportunities for up to 2,000 additional students.

Making the announcement with President Dr. Wayne Shillington.

With some of the Norquest students from around the world.

Apr 8 – Prime Minister visits Edmonton – The Right Honourable Stephen Harper paid a welcome visit to Edmonton and made a major funding announcement at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).  The funding announced will help apprentices to complete their programmes and reward them when they do.  NAIT is the foremost post secondary apprenticeship institution in Canada and accounts for 17% of all apprentices trained in the entire country.  Following the NAIT announcement, the Prime Minister and several Edmonton MPs, including Laurie, held a round table discussion with ten prominent Edmonton business and educational leaders.  The exchange of information was very worthwhile.  Finally, the Prime Minister wowed a large crowd of supporters at a meet and greet at the Edmonton Westin Hotel.  Everyone left energized and excited about the future, as we work our way through the current economic challenges.

Bringing the goods to under the watchful eyes of NAIT President Dr. Sam Shaw and apprentices.

 
Introducing the PM to the party faithful.

 
Firing them up.

Apr 8 – Troops return – Laurie went out to the International Airport in the wee hours of the morning to greet approximately 50 Edmonton soldiers returning from their tour of duty in Afghanistan.  As always, Edmonton Salutes was there with several dedicated Legion members and Tim Hortons coffee and donuts to welcome home our brave men and women.

Apr 7 – RMC Club of Edmonton – Laurie and Judy attended the annual dinner of the Royal Military College Club of Edmonton at the Royal Glenora.  Laurie delivered a presentation on the mission in Afghanistan and fielded some excellent questions from the well-informed audience.  Members of the club are graduates of the Canada’s Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario and represent many decades of service to Canada.

Apr7 – Money for EmployAbilities – Laurie went to the offices of EmployAbilities Edmonton to announce funding of $301,532 for their Skills Link Program to give an opportunity to 22 young people with developmental challenges to reach their full potential.  EmployAbilities is a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing employment and learning opportunities for persons with disabilities. They have served the Edmonton community for over 33 years and continue to offer superior services through Community Partnerships and a committed staff.

Delivering the goods to President John Ough and Executive Director Iris Saunders

Chatting with EmployAbilities clients

Apr 6 – Constituency Day – Laurie and his staff spent the day listening to constituents in the office as they addressed a variety of situations for which they need help.  Our office has hundreds of case files in process at any given time.

Apr 5 - Strathcona Invitational Hockey Tournament – Laurie was honoured to present medals to the winners of the Midget Girls Division at the First Annual Strathcona’s Hockey Tournament.  The Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) organized the tournament to raise money in support of programs at the Edmonton Military Family Resource Centre.  The tournament attracted teams from all across western Canada.

With the gold medalists from St. Albert

Apr 4 – Jabula Africa – Laurie joined a sold-out crowd at the Crestwood Community League for this fund raising event which featured live African drumming, dancing and singing.  Proceeds from this event will go to building homes for orphans and vulnerable children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  Jabula is Zulu for “celebrate”.

Where they live now

What is being built

Apr 4 – STAND for Darfur – Laurie attended a meeting at St. Joseph’s College organized by Students Taking Action Now: Darfur and spoke about Canada’s commitment to helping ease the terrible situation in that country where over 4 million people have been displaced and over 2 million people killed.

Speaking to the audience of students and other guests

Apr 4 – Door knocking – Laurie was joined by a team of volunteers and knocked on over 200 doors in West Edmonton.  It’s a great way to stay in touch with constituents and to hear their concerns first-hand.  The issue of crime and justice seemed to be high on people’s minds.

Mar 29 – Sol Rolingher Tribute – Laurie and Judy were head table guests along with their Honours Norman and Mary Kwong for a tribute to prominent local personality Sol Rolingher.  Sol has been very active in a great many areas of Edmonton business, culture and community affairs.  The event was also a fund raiser for  new doors and a new roof for the Beth Shalom Synagogue.  Laurie brought greetings in English and Hebrew and everyone enjoyed a great meal served up by the Fantasyland Hotel.

Sol Rolingher

Mar 28 – Spark a Revolution – Laurie and Judy attended  this fund raiser at the Westbury Theatre, in support of the Edmonton Fringe Festival.  Local artists and groups performed a variety of sketches and acts for the engaged audience, clearly putting “fringe” into the event.

Mar 28 – Moreuil Wood Parade – Laurie joined the “Strats” again, this time to attend their annual parade commemorating the Battle of Moreuil Wood.  The parade was also an opportunity to present annual regimental awards and announce promotions and service medals.

Mar 27 – 91^st Anniversary of Moreuil Woods – Laurie and Judy joined the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) at The Hotel Macdonald for their annual mess dinner to celebrate the Battle of Moreuil Wood.  The battle, which took place on March 30, 1918, was credited with slowing a German advanced and shortening World War One.  Lieutenant Gordon Flowerdew led a dramatic and courageous cavalry charge during the battle and was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his valour.

Lieutenant Gordon Flowerdew, Victoria Cross