Summer 2009
Summer 2009
August 22 – East meets West Festival – Laurie helped to kick-off this new addition to Edmonton’s festival scene. In the McCauley area, Chinatown and Little Italy are important parts of the community culture and this festival is designed to bring these two cultural communities closer together and to give all Edmontonians the chance to enjoy the richness of both. It’s a great addition to the City Scene.
Chatting with Mayor Mandel in Chinatown
Bringing greetings in Italian and Cantonese
Cutting the ribbon in Little Italy
Four Edmonton Eskimos giving a demonstration of spaghetti eating - the Italian guy won.
August 22 – Run for the Brave – Laurie, Judy and Robb went to the Edmonton Garrison and did 10 km to help raise money for the Kipnes Centre for Veterans. Opened November 9, 2005, the Kipnes Centre for Veterans is the newest of CapitalCare’s 11 continuing care centres. The centre, which replaced the Mewburn Veterans' Centre on the city’s south side, is a residential-style two-storey neighbourhood located on 1.93 hectares of land on the northwest corner of the former Griesbach military base in north Edmonton. The centre's eight houses are home to 120 residents, and the central core is town square with a pub, chapel, barber shop, exercise room and coffee shop. We owe it to them.
Laurie and Robb hoofing it for the brave
Laurie and Base Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Bradley
August 20 - You guessed it - more door knocking
August 20 – Grant MacEwan Funding Announcement – Laurie brought the good news to Grant MacEwan Community College that they had been awarded a grant of $1 million under the Conservative Government’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The money will be used to expand MacEwan’s capacity to conduct research and to teach.
Participating in an experiment
Showing Brent Quinton the money
August 18 – 19 – Cold Lake visit – Laurie joined the Leader of the Government in the House, the Honourable Jay Hill, on a visit to 4 Wing Cold Lake, mainly to familiarize Jay with the fighter force and to give him the chance to experience a flight in a CF-18. He loved it and kept his lunch where it belongs.
August 17 - Another constituency day dealing with people's personal issues.
August 13 - still more door knocking
August 12 – Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival Kick-off – Laurie brought greetings to the kick-off to this excellent festival which is the oldest and largest Fringe Theatre Festival in North America. The Fringe Fest was the grateful recipient of $414,000 from the Marquee Festivals Program. This year’s theme was “Stage a Revolution”.
Bringing greetings
August 12 – Ho hum, more door knocking.
August 12 – Glenrose Rehab Video Conference – Laurie participated in a video conference on the subject of virtual reality in the area of physical and mental rehabilitation, a subject of importance to all Canadians and, especially, the Canadian Forces. The conference call connected the Glenrose in Edmonton with locations in the Netherlands and Israel.
August 11 - Yup, more door knocking
August 11 - Citizenship Ceremonies - Laurie joined Judge Sonia Bitar for two ceremonies and welcomed 175 new Canadians in about 25 different languages. It's always a rewarding experience to meet people from all over the world and who share on thing - a desire to be Canadian.
August 10 - Door knocking - A few more hours talking to folks on their doorsteps
August 10 - Constituency Day - Laurie spent the day receiving constituents in the office and discussing whatever situations had brought them there. We can't solve every problem, but we always give it our best shot.
August 9 - 55th Anniversary of Chinese Freemasons - Laurie and Judy attended and brought greetings to this milestone event and met Freemasons from all over Canada. The Freemasons do excellent work in their communities in a wide variety of charitable causes. Laurie even took a chance to do a little Karaoke, but shouldn't give up his day job.
August 8 - Door knocking - Laurie and several volunteers hit the doorsteps of Edmonton Centre to take the pulse of constituents. As always, it was great to stay in touch.
August 8 - Safeway and Edmonton Firefighters for Muscular Dystrophy - Laurie spent a few hours bagging groceries and getting dunked at the Oliver Square Safeway to help the Edmonton Firefighters from Station 22 raise money for the fight against Muscular Dystrophy. Safeway and the EFD have been a great partnership for several years in this worthy cause.
August 7 - Cariwest Costume Extravaganza - Laurie was pleased to act as a judge for the annual Cariwest Costume Extravaganza. To say that it was colourful and musical would be a significant understatement.
Bringing greetings
What everyone is wearing out these days
The Devil made me do it!
August 7 - Marian Centre - Laurie shared lunch with the staff of the Marian Centre and helped distribute bag lunches to Edmonton folks who need a little help. The Marian Centre has been in Edmonton since 1955 and it is known for its service to the poor. The homeless and needy are welcomed into the dining room five days a week and bag lunches are distributed at other times. Once a week, the clothing room is opened so that clothes and small household items can be made available.
Marian Centre staff and volunteers
August 7 - WEBA Breakfast - Laurie attended the morning meeting of the West Edmonton Business Association to learn more from individual people about how they are handling the current economic conditions. These are turned-on people and there is a lot of optimism for the future.
August 6 - Edmonton Folk Music Festival - Laurie and Judy attended the opening reception and enjoyed the evening in Gallagher Park at the 30th year of this great Edmonton festival. Festival Producer Terry Wickham praised Laurie for his personal support and the Department of Canadian Heritage is proud to provide support to the tune of $100,000 annually.
August 1-2 - Cold Lake Airshow - Laurie and Judy spent the weekend in their old stomping grounds at Cold Lake, enjoying a great air display, featuring the Snowbirds, CF-18s and two vintage aircraft. The F-86 Sabre in the colours of the legendary Canadian aerobatic team the Golden Hawks joined with the Snowbirds and also put on its own display. The Avro Lancaster of World War 2 fame wowed the crowd with its graceful flight and the stirring sound of its four Merlin engines. This Lancaster from the Canadian Warplane Heritage in Hamilton is one of only two flying in the world.
Avro Lancaster
Golden Hawk F-86 Sabre and the Snowbirds
July 28-29 - Summer Caucus - Conservative MPs and Senators gathered in Ottawa for their annual summer caucus to discuss current events and plans for the fall session of Parliament. A highlight was a visit to the Prime Minister's summer residence at Harrington Lake.
The Team
July 17 – 26 – OPERATION NIJMEGEN 2009 – Laurie joined 190 Canadian Forces members in the March at Nijmegen, an event that has been taking place since 1909. Supported by several dozen other CF members, including the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, the Canadian Contingent was part of the total of 5,000 military and 40,000 civilians from 64 countries who were registered to march for four days through the area around Nijmegen, Holland. This area was made famous by Operation Market Garden in World War 2 and the movie A Bridge Too Far. The march would cover 180 km over four different daily routes and Laurie had prepared hard for the grueling endurance test, covering 1850 km over the previous eight months. Prior to the march, the Canadian Contingent visited the beautiful and moving Canadian Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France and conducted a remembrance ceremony. Accommodation at Nijmegen was in a military camp in 200-person tents with wooden floors and outdoor “facilities”. The days started very early around 0300 and teams marched off to the skirl of bag pipes into the pre-dawn darkness. The Dutch crowds were large and loud and made it clear that they have never forgotten what Canada did for their country in 1945. Every town had a band playing and children offered all kinds of food treats, in exchange for the thousands of flags, pins and stickers that the Canadians handed out. The weather was alternately hot and muggy or pouring rain, but the crowds never lost their enthusiasm. A highlight of Day 3 was the service of remembrance at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, where 2338 Canadians rest in peace after making the ultimate sacrifice in the liberation of Holland. Laurie organized a special blessing at the gravesites of relatives of three constituents in Edmonton Centre. After finishing the march on Day 4 and getting medals, there was still 5 km to go, but it was the best part of the whole experience. 200 Canadians led 5000 allied troops from 24 countries through the streets of Nijmegen to the cheers of one million people. Cries of “We love you, Canada” and the showering of gladiolas made every ache and pain disappear and chests swell in the pride of being Canadian. The Edmonton Military Family Resource Centre will also benefit from the $3000 raised through Laurie’s efforts, as all-told he covered 2030 km or the distance between Edmonton and Thunder Bay. It was an amazing experience which might have to be repeated.
Home sweet home
Canadian Contingent at Vimy Ridge
At the opening ceremonies with Dutch Chief of Defence General Peter van Uhm, Dutch Vice Chief of Defence Lieutenant-General Bertholee and Canadian Contingent Commander Major-General Mark McQuillan
Set to march off with Bart West, Honourary Colonel for Edmonton's 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron
Marching off into the dawn
With a young Dutch "soldier" named Joper
Some of the 45,000 crossing one of the famous bridges
They came from as far away as Australia
A welcome rest stop for the Edmonton Garrison team
A nightly ritual
Remembering the fallen at Goesbeek
Enthusiastic Dutch youngsters
Getting the Nijmegen medal from MGen McQuillan
Proud to be Canadian
"We love you, Canada"
July 15 – Nijmegen Send-Off – Laurie took part in a parade at the National War Museum in Ottawa to mark the departure of the Canadian Contingent to the annual March at Nijmegen. The event featured speakers from Canada and Holland.
July 14 – Telus Celebration of Giving – Laurie and Judy attended this event to recognize organizations and people that help to create the next generation of audiences and artists; promote physical and high-performance skills, recreation and accessibility to sports for all; advance research, disease prevention and care; and help to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment.
July 12 – Firefighter Ride-along – Laurie joined Fire Captain Pat Martin and the firefighters at Station 6, for an evening of food, conversation and action. Fortunately, the food and conversation outnumbered the action and Laurie learned a lot about how a fire station operates.
The gang at Station 6 (l-r) Richard Toshak, Steve Gurnett, Captain Pat Martin, , Laurie, Jason Cox, Brian Mihailides, Jascen Laliberte, Captain Greg Wetherup.
July 11 – Valley Zoo 10th Annual “On Safari” – Laurie and Judy joined Mayor Steve Mandel, his wife Lynn and hundreds of others for this annual event sampling foods from local restaurants, visiting the Valley Zoo, and raising funds for future expansion. This is also the 50th Anniversary of the Valley Zoo and it has become a vital part of the Edmonton scene, especially with its educational programs for children and adults.
Which one is the wise owl?
Lucy the pampered pachyderm.
A performing raptor.
“Look what we bought!”
Bringing greetings.
July 11 – Annual Charity Barbecue – Laurie and his hard-working staff hosted their annual charity barbecue at the Sherbrooke Community League. The event raises money to support the Jasper Place Health and Wellness Centre. The Centre has placed over 350 people in affordable housing over the past two years and has helped hundreds of people to kick the drug habit and stay clean. Laurie is happy to match whatever proceeds are raised through donations for burgers and dogs and this year, cut an extra personal cheque for $711.20.
Chatting with visitors, including MP Mike Lake, Edmonton Millwoods Beaumont.
Giving Murray Soroka the proceeds of $711.20 plus an additional cheque for $711.20.
July 10 – 4Web.ca – Laurie joined President Ayman Hassan for a tour of 4Web.ca, a rapidly growing local company that excels in the area of on-line solutions. It’s great to see Edmonton companies growing through hard work and innovation.
With 4Web.ca President Ayman Hassan.
July 10 – Edmonton Garrison Change of Command Parade – Laurie attended the formal parade passing command of the Edmonton Garrison from Lieutenant Colonel Gary Blenkinsop to Lieutenant Colonel Tom Bradley. LCol Blenkinsop is retiring after 29 years of service to Canada and taking up a position with logistic company ATCO Frontec in Budapest, Hungary.
Lieutenant Colonel Blenkinsop approaching Reviewing Officer Colonel Chuck Lamarre to carry on with the parade.
July 9 – Edmonton Garrison Change of Command Dinner – Laurie was the Guest of Honour at the Change of Command Dinner at the Edmonton Garrison. He brought greetings and updates on military procurement, as well as giving a mild roasting to outgoing Base Commander Lieutenant Colonel Gary Blenkinsop.
July 8 – Final Seniors Visits – Laurie finished off the summer round of seniors homes visits at the Renaissance and Teglar Terrace. Once again cake, seniors and conversation are an enjoyable combination.
Chatting with the Renaissance folks.
Enough cake for dessert later at Teglar Terrace.
July 7 - Pinot on the Patio - Laurie helped the Edmonton Journal’s Nick Lees and about 200 others raise money for Kids with Cancer at this annual wine tasting and auction at the Royal Glenora Club. A bit of fine wine makes the bidding more lively.
July 7 – Still more seniors visits – Laurie continued his semi-annual round of seniors visits by taking cakes and conversation to Westlawn and Teglar Manor. Seniors are not shy about discussing issues of the day and it is always a pleasure to share ideas and bring them up to date.
Sharing thoughts with residents of Teglar Manor.
July 6 – Federal – Provincial Joint Caucus Meeting – Nearly 100 Alberta MPs and MLAs met in Calgary to discuss issues important to all Albertans. The talks were frank and wide-ranging and increased understanding of the challenges at both levels of government.
July 4 – Westmount Community League Drop-in – Laurie dropped in on residents of the Westmount area as they enjoyed a summer day with their new kids water park and a variety of displays by the Edmonton Police Service and other community organizations.
Kids plus water = fun!
“Can we go flying now?”
July 3 – More seniors visits – Today we spent time with the folks at Meadowcroft and Canterbury Court. Proud Canadians all.
Being introduced by long-time Conservative Ron Grantham. Ron was at the meeting in 1942 when the Progressives and the Conservatives got together to form the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Making sure that the sweet tooth is satisfied.
July 2 – Feast of Fools Fund Raiser – Laurie and Judy joined the Edmonton Street Performers Festival folks for their annual fund raiser at the Sutton Place Hotel. People were treated to a variety of the fun and innovative acts that make up this year’s festival. It was definitely a night for the unusual.
Standing on their heads to raise funds.
July 2 – Seniors visits – Laurie continued his Canada Day visits with Edmonton seniors, because we can’t get to all of them on July 1st. Today we visited Meadowlark Lodge and Churchill Residence, enjoying cake, conversation and music programs.
July 1 – Somali picnics – Laurie joined the Edmonton Somali community at two separate picnics. July 1st is also the National Day for Somalia, so the community has two reasons to celebrate.
With your friends Abdulahi and Mahamed.
July 1 – Seniors residence visits – Laurie joined residents at Summit Village, Kiwanis Place, McQueen Lodge and Ansgar Housing for their Canada Day celebrations. It’s great to spend time with enthusiastic Canadians who have done so much to build our country.
She likes me.
Mary very spry at 103 years old.
Alice, a mere “kid” at 101 years old.
McQueen’s dancing lady staying young at 95.
Visiting with residents of Ansgar Housing
July 1 – Canada Day at City Hall – Laurie brought greetings to a large crowd at City Hall and recognized his constituent Janet Lee, who won the 15 – 18 year category in the Canada Day Poster Contest.
Canada Day Poster Contest Winner Janet Lee
July 1 – Citizenship Ceremony– Laurie helped to swear-in 75 new Canadians from dozens of countries in what is one of his favourite annual events at the Alberta Legislature. Greeting them all in their own languages, Laurie congratulated them on earning all the rights and privileges of being Canadian and also reminded them of their responsibilities as Canadians.
July 1 – Ismaili Muslim Breakfast – Laurie started a busy Canada Day by serving pancakes to hundreds of people at the Alberta Legislature Grounds. It was a beautiful, sunny day and Edmontonians were out in force to celebrate our 142nd birthday.
“Would you like fries with that?”
A happy Canadian
June 30 – Laurier House Seniors – It was time for more cake, coffee and music with the residents of Laurier House in celebration of Canada’s 142nd birthday.
June 30 – Access Television – Laurie joined Roza Parlin and Mercedes Stephenson along with Access TV Host Jennifer Martin to discuss caring for the military family. The show was a follow-up to the release of a report by the Standing Committee on National Defence on healthcare in the Canadian Forces.
June 30 – Norquest College Canada Day Celebration – Laurie joined a very large crowd of dignitaries and students at this annual event to celebrate Canada Day with hundreds of immigrants to Canada who are learning English language and job skills at Norquest College. Norquest has been the catalyst for thousands of newcomers to find their way in the Canadian social and job arenas.
June 30 – Street Performers Media Launch – Laurie brought greetings and congratulations on the 25th Anniversary of the Edmonton Street Performers Festival. A very wide variety of acts will perform for ten days in Sir Winston Churchill Square and leave Edmontonians amazed and laughing. Laurie was introduced by a very special guest.
Being introduced by “Her Majesty”.
June 29 - Barread visit – Laurie travelled to Barrhead to make a presentation on our mission in Afghanistan to constituents in the riding of Yellowhead. The large crowd appreciated the information and make good advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, keeping Laurie there for a long time after the presentation ended.
Delivering the message.
Interacting with attendees.
June 29 – Seniors home visits – Laurie kicked off his annual round of Canada Day seniors homes visits at St. Andrews. Residents enjoyed cake and conversation with Laurie on a variety of topics.
A very colourful Canadian.
June 29 – Constituency Day – Laurie spent a large portion of the day meeting with constituents to discuss specific issues.
June 28 – AirFest 2009 – This annual event basked in glorious sunshine and attracted a record crowd of aviation enthusiasts at the Edmonton Aviation Museum on Kingsway. Laurie enjoyed meeting people and admiring antique cars and old and new aircraft.
Antique cars and aircraft.
The CF-18 Hornet is always a crowd favourite.
An elderly beauty – the Harvard.
June 27 – Laurie joined other MPs and MLAs at the Somali Youth for Challenge Dinner. This event recognizes and celebrates the academic and community achievements of young Somali-Canadians as the whole community works together to address some of their unique challenges.
Young flag waver.
Some of the youth being recognized.
Laurie with MP Tim Uppal and organizer Mahamed Accord.
June 27 – Door knocking blitz – Several dozen volunteers joined Laurie to door knock and drop literature in many areas of the riding. This let folks know that Laurie is back in town and was followed by a barbecue at the Crestwood Community League.
June 27 – Protesting Iranian Suppression of Human Rights – Laurie joined a group of Canadians at the Alberta Legislature to protest the treatment of dissidents in Iran in the aftermath of the recent election in that country. Laurie brought a message of support from the Government of Canada and specifically urged the release of an illegally detained Canadian journalist.
Part of the crowd.
Delivering a message of support.
June 26 – Fire Ops 101 – Laurie spent an exciting and educational morning with Edmonton Fire and Rescue getting a first-hand look at the challenges that firefighters and rescue face every day in keeping us safe. They spent time in full dress with respirators in the fire training facility “enjoying” the 900 F temperatures of a couch fire. The group also witnessed and participated in a tower rescue, fighting a propane fire, using the jaws of life, and getting a close-up demonstration of just how quickly a house fire can get out of control. It was great exposure to the real world of fire safety and gave everyone an appreciation of how important these well-trained and dedicated men and women are to us.
Getting briefed.
Ready to go!
After the heat.
Tower Rescue.
Jaws of life.
Fighting propane fire.
And this only took three minutes!
June 24 – Constituency day – Laurie and his staff spent one of their regularly scheduled Constituency days meeting with people with issues that need addressing. It’s an important way to stay in touch and help as many constituents as possible.
June 21 – Father’s Day walk for Prostate Cancer – Laurie and his son Robb joined almost 1,000 Edmontonians to walk 5 km and raise money for research and treatment of prostate cancer, a disease that affects one-in-six Canadian men. The event gets bigger every year and exceeded expectations again. Well done, Edmonton!
With a four-legged supporter.
Addressing the crowd.
June 20 – RInC Funding – Laurie went to the Royal Glenora Club to announce $1 million in funding under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Fund to upgrade facilities. The not-for-profit Royal Glenora Club serves much more than its paid membership and 17 schools and recreational organizations with over 48,000 members will benefit from the enhanced facilities. The Glenora has also produced many gold medal athletes, including Kurt Browning and Sale and Pelletier.
Delivering the $$.
With young athletes and Glenora executives.
June 14 – Laryngectomy Cancer Golf Tournament – Laurie swung the sticks for the first time this year in support of the third annual tournament to raise funds to supply devices necessary for laryngectomy cancer survivors to communicate. Terrae Pines was the venue and the organizers did an excellent job of hosting a fun and fund-raising event.
June 13 – Edmonton Vietnamese Chinese Seniors Society 13th Anniversary – Laurie and Judy attended the dinner and brought greetings in Cantonese to the large crowd in attendance. The Vietnamese Chinese community of Edmonton is very strong and contributes greatly to our diversity and quality of life.
Delivering greetings in Cantonese.
June 13 – Royal Canadian Air Cadets 12 Squadron Annual Review – Laurie was the Reviewing Officer for the squadron’s annual inspection. The cadets performed brilliantly, the band played melodiously, and the families and friends enjoyed the spectacle. Laurie and Judy also attended the formal dinner later in the evening and delivered remarks congratulating the cadets on their past performance and encouraging them in future endeavours.
Inspecting the “troops”.
June 13 – Proud to be Canadian Campaign – Laurie and fellow Edmonton area MPs Tim Uppal and Brent Rathgeber kicked off their Proud to be Canadian Campaign. Flyers with Canadian flag cutouts were sent to every household in their three ridings to encourage people to show their pride on Canada Day. About three dozen Conservative MPs are participating across the country and, through a feedback mechanism, we will be able to name the most patriotic riding in Canada.
Showing our pride.
June 6 – Peterborough Remembers – Peterborough is a city of only 78,000 people, but they have suffered the loss of 4 of the 120 Canadian soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan. The community came together to remember their sacrifice and to honour their families. Laurie was the keynote speaker and the packed house paid fitting tribute to our fallen heroes.
With Peterborough MP Dean del Maestro.
A somber moment – presenting a Canadian flag to the mother of Corporal Randy Payne.
June 6 – Peterborough F-86 Sabre Re-dedication – Laurie travelled to Peterborough to help officiate at the re-dedication of an F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft that had been refurbished and re-mounted to stand guard over the City. It was a bright, sunny day and a very large crowd of veterans, cadets and citizens of Peterborough turned out for the occasion.
What a beauty!
Doing local media with Peterborough MP Dean del Maestro.
June 5 – “Run in Red” – Laurie brought greetings from the Federal Government to this event where all military members in the Ottawa region participated in a fitness run. It was a beautiful day and it was spectacular to see the sea of red in Ottawa’s Confederation Park.
With CDS General Walt Natynczyk, the Olympic Torch and Red Run supporters.
