Cole Hamblin, who was a Western Hockey League player in the past, has passed away from cancer at the very young age of 21 years old. In the past Hamblin had played for both the Regina Pats and the Spokane Chiefs, but the young man has hung up his skates and moved on from this world. Cole Hamblin succumbed to cancer on Wednesday after a very short but very intense battle, and the courageous man never gave up the fight. Cole was just as tenacious fighting the disease as he had been on the ice. First diagnosed a mere two months before cancer took him, Cole Hamblin already had plans for this season when he found out that he had cancer.. The first signs that something was wrong was when the player started experiencing severe back pain and he lost 30 pounds within a short time.
The hockey world is saddened by the loss of Cole Hamblin, and the rare form of cancer that he was diagnosed with was a very rapid type with little to no chance for a cure. On September 22 Cole was admitted to the Victoria Hospital, located in Winnipeg, where he was first diagnosed with cancer. The official diagnosis was stage four mucoepidermoid carcinoma, a type of cancer that spreaqds quickly. By the time the disease was found the cancer had already spread to several areas of Hamblin’s body, including his spine, lymph nodes, and other areas of his skeletal system. A number of fundraisers was held by various hockey teams and organizations in order to support Cole Hamblin and his family during his cancer fight.
Keystone pipeline approval, recent election in the USA
With the results of the recent election in the USA there is new hope for the Canadian government that there will be a Keystone pipeline approval announced soon. According to Joe Oliver, the Finance Minister, he has hope that the Republicans who took control of the United States Senate will give approval for the Keystone XL project which has been stalled by the Democratic Majority in the Senate until now and the current presidential administration. The US Ambassador to Canada, Gary Doer, expressed hope that the win by the Republicans will get the Keystone pipeline project back on track and help it move forward once again. Ever since the project was stalled the Republican lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States have tried to push the project forward by applying pressure to President Obama to issue a Keystone pipeline approval.
A Keystone pipeline approval because of the recent election in the USA would be a boon to Canada and the USA, and the Canadian government has long supported the project. It is a $5.4 billion project, allowing a TransCanada pipeline to be built which will connect Texas refineries to the Athabasca oilsands in Alberta. President Obama has continuously pushed back Keystone pipeline approval because he was pressured by environmentalists. Things have changed now that Republicans control both congressional chambers, and things will hopefully start to get done with the change in political parties. Republican lawmakers have already stated that the Keystone XL project is a priority once the new session of Congress begins in January.
Is Fort MacMurray one of the family oriented communities in Alberta? For many residents the answer is yes. This region has seen an incredible boom in the last few years, with people arriving on a continuous basis. This has led to higher crime rates, more drugs and weapons, and an atmosphere in some parts of town that can be rowdy on certain nights. The large number of roughnecks and oil workers who come into Fort MacMurray on payday from the work camps, in order to get supplies or relax and let off some steam, has some questioning whether this is one of the most family oriented communities to choose from. When all of the factors and elements are reviewed it is clear to see that Fort MacMurray is very family friendly, although there are some problems that any other communities face in this part of Alberta.
There are many reasons why people choose to come to Fort MacMurray, and one of these is the fact that this is viewed as one of the most family oriented communities in spite of a few drawbacks. The school system in Wood Buffalo is exceptional, with plenty of resources and an expanding base that can cover new arrivals as well as established students. There is a variety of shopping options as well. The cost of housing and rental units is quite high, but that is due to the high demand and the booming economy. There are always jobs available for qualified professionals, and the community offers many opportunities for families to enjoy time together and several venues to pick from. That makes Fort MacMurray one of the top family oriented communities in Alberta for many people.
Legal Aid Alberta, funding for individuals with severe disabilities
Legal Aid Alberta has received new provincial funding, but these funds will not go towards opening the Legal Aid office in Fort MacMurray back up. Instead this funding will be used to address covering individuals with severe disabilities. The government of Alberta has announced that they will provide $5.5 million for this fiscal year, and that allows Legal Aid Alberta to increase their income cutoff levels, and this means that more individuals with severe disabilities who are on Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped will qualify for services from the organization. The Legal Air board chair Derek Cranna explained “It is an important and signal event for Legal Aid today, to be able to proceed … on the basis that we wished to for some time now, which is to provide coverage for those Albertans who are in the most vulnerable positions.”
Now Legal Aid Alberta can provide full representations to those whose income falls below $1,588. Up until now the income limit was $1,348, and that eliminated individuals with severe disabilities who received the AISH payments which are typically around $1,500 per month. The income cutoff limits are intended to control spending while ensuring the lower income levels have access to full legal representation. According to Jonathan Denis, the Minister of Justice for Alberta “I’ve said since day one that we would take this issue to the federal government, and I’ve indicated that if the federal government wasn’t ready to stand up, we would do this.” Denis explained that he discussed this issue with Peter McKay, a federal minister. “He did indicate that he was willing to keep a dialogue going, however, talk is cheap and Legal Aid needs services now.”
The Keyano College Foundation recently held a fundraiser gala, with the hopes of raising $500,000 for students and a few programs that benefit the kids. The fundraiser was held at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre, and it had more than 1,200 guests even though it was a black tie affair. There were raffles, a concert performance by Corey Hart, and a live auction for guests to enjoy. The proceeds for the event went to the Keyano College Foundation, which helps to fund community facilities and student awards for financial assistance. According to the board of director’s chairperson for the Keyano College Foundation, Paul Taylor, “The funds raised through Gala and through our partners will go to support our students, our programming, athletics, the theatre, and capital improvements. Collaboration is vital to Keyano’s ongoing efforts to ensure that Canada’s fastest growing region here in Wood Buffalo has sufficient and affordable access to post-secondary education..”
This is not the first year that the Keyano College Foundation has held the gala fundraiser. Keyano College external affairs vice president Theresa Greenwood, remarked “We call the work we do at the foundation fundraising, but we also call it friend-raising. We include friend raising because we know that while the financial part is important, it’s also just as important to have our supporters involved in other ways. Greenwood continued by saying ”“There are certain things that you can fund through government funding and certain things that you can’t. The theatre, for example, we don’t use any of our provincial funding to go towards the theatre, it’s all community based, so it’s based on ticket sales and fundraising.” Paul Taylor also discussed the athletic programs funded by the Keyano College Foundation “Instead of them having to go south, if we can offer … close to elite athletes the opportunities to remain in the region and play for the Huskies, so much the better. It helps them, they’re closer to their families, and obviously it allows Keyano to field a very competitive team.”
A generous donation by Syncrude will be used to promote trades in Alberta high schools, with the goal of creating interest in the trades in high school students. The donation totaled $300,000, and it was provided to Skills Canada Alberta to support the organization initiative Skills in the Classroom. According to a statement from Syncrude Skills Canada Alberta was chosen for the donation because the organization changes the way students, teachers, and parents think about the trades as a career path. The generous donation will be used for the next 3 years to finance competitions and help to promote interest in the trades in Alberta high schools. According to the vice president of maintenance for Syncrude, Jim Richards, “We had supported Skills Canada on a year-by-year basis for the past two years and have been very impressed with their work. They have been hugely successful in engaging high school students. They hosted more than 28,000 students at their various events in 2014.”
Skills Canada has held many competitions for Alberta high school students in 45 different areas of the trades and technology, and these competitions help students connect with industry leaders and post secondary individuals who can be influential for trade students. According to the executive director of Skills Canada Alberta, Chris Browton, “Youth can benefit from careers in Alberta’s robust economy when they are provided with the right combination of inspiration, information, and opportunity. The partnership with Syncrude allows us to support students as they turn their interests into in-demand and valued careers.”
