Video
Articles
Exploring the beauty of Southern-Alberta
Jan 2022
Kids from southern Alberta are featured in a new YouTube and TELUS original show that premiered this week with two episodes.
The show, called JungleGYM TV, focuses on getting children active, both physically and mentally, while also highlighting and exploring southern Alberta.
"We wanted to make a video series that is designed to inspire pre-school children to move their bodies and imaginations, providing them with some educational fun and little exercises so they can get up and get moving," said Jocelyn Chugg the Jungle Gym TV host in an interview with CTV Lethbridge.
The show is produced and created by Snapshot Studios from Calgary and prominently features the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge and the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale.
"Alberta just has so much to it, there is a lot to explore, it’s all right in our little bubble," said Chugg.
"So, being able to hang out at the Birds of Prey Centre and Helen Schuler, it was just so cool, so fun."
FIFTH GENERATION ALBERTAN
As a fifth generation Albertan, Chugg said she was extremely happy to spotlight this beautiful region.
In the first episode of JungleGYM TV, local kids got to visit the Birds of Prey Center and get an up close experience with our flying, feathery friends.
"There’s not very many places in Alberta, or even Canada where you can reach out and touch a live owl or live eagle so it was a new experience for them and really added some extra magic to the program as well," said Colin Weir, Alberta Birds of Prey Centres' managing director.
Weir said it also gave the kids, and everybody tuning in to JungleGYM TV, a chance to look into the important role that birds play within the Indigenous communities of southern Alberta.
In the first episode of JungleGYM TV, local kids got to visit the Birds of Prey Center and get an up close experience with our flying, feathery friends.
"We had one of our First Nations people, Dalyce Gladstone, and she was able to talk a little about Indigenous culture and the significance of birds of prey to them as well."
In the second episode, they talked about prairie animals with the Helen Schuler Nature Centre and got to experience nature first-hand.
"We shot a few scenes here at the centre and then we were walking down to the river to shoot some scenes about beaver and we even stumbled upon a fawn you will see in the show," said Taylor Hecker, the center's program leader.
"It looks like it was staged but that actually happened, it’s perfect timing."
Hecker is excited about the show and the importance it places on local ecosystems.
"There's just so much more to discover here, even in southern Alberta, so I look forward to seeing what comes next."
JungleGYM TV also has interactive workout sessions for the kids to get involved in as well as brain games to keep children's minds sharp.
Their two episodes can be found on YouTube and TELUS TV, but Chugg and the rest of the JungleGYM TV team are hoping for more episodes to come soon.
“We’re are hoping to continue to explore the rest of Alberta because there is so much to see and so much to show these kids,” Chugg added.
For more information on the Helen Schuler Nature Centre, the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre and JungleGYM TV, you can visit their websites.
With files from Sean Marks
University of Lethbridge names first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion scholars
Jan.2022
University of Lethbridge has named its first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion scholars.
The program was implemented in 2021 to create space and opportunity for scholars to share their work in relation to issues impacting radicalized groups, including concerns, challenges, and barriers that equity-seeking groups may experience on campus.
The scholars include Dr. Sandra Dixon, Glenda Bonifacio, and Roy Golsteyn.
Herritage Hall
Heritage Hall is one of the most iconic building and the oldest post-secondary institution buildings still standing in Calgary. As people called it “the heart of Southern Alberta Institute of technology” or “the main campus” this building opens its door to students in 1922. Today, 100 years later Heritage Hall is still standing strong and welcoming students for their careers.
In 1939, less than a week after the start of world war two, the provincial institute of technology and art moved all of its students to temporary classrooms throughout the city. At this point, Heritage Hall was used as the wireless training classroom which of course was a huge deal at the time. It welcomed thousands of air force pilots and crew members from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
“I found the world war two history, in particular extremely fascinating, because I had no idea that any of that took place and I don’t think anyone would unless you kinda knew that history,” says Ron Tarrant the creator of Heritage Hall anniversary podcast
In the 1980s there was a serious discussion of tearing down the building, of course, it didn’t happen that is why we are still seeing it. 25 years ago Heritage Hall when through an incredible renovation that changes its appearance to what it is today.
Heritage hall and all it represents has meant an enormous amount to the tens of thousands of students who have graduated from SAIT.
To celebrate this milestone SAIT reached out to historians, grads and produced an eight-episode audio series
“it’s mostly interviews subjects who have kind of impacted by heritage hall in some form of ways, whether it be former faculties, students in the early days, whether it be people that were affected in world war two when it turns into wireless school,” says Tarrant
People can leave their comments or messages about how important the building is to them and what role it has played in their educational journey on SAIT’s website. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify with the title “If These Halls Could Talk”.
Minister of Jobs, Economy and innovation Doug Schweitzer announces their support for Alberta Innovates
Minister Doug Schweitzer, announces their support for clean energy alongside Laura Kilcrease the chief officer of Alberta innovates. Schweitzer says they are investing for the long term to create more jobs and affordability.
“Affordability is a big issue of the day”
Alberta government invests $13 million in funding 22 projects.
$9.6 million will be used to fund nine projects from the Clean Resources business unit.
$3.4 million will be used to fund 13 projects through the DICE program.
bringing the total to $47 millions
These investments help with creating 200 jobs. And are also looking to create close to 2000 jobs in the next 5 years.
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=82136F3367982-C37A-5CB2-84D5982D53EE735F
To advance the projects Dr. John Chen energy simulation chair and Ted Robert associate head of research both from the department of chemical and petroleum at the University of Calgary are creating new products and research saying ‘it’s to build natural resources and get all the sectors together.
In short, these projects and the funding helps improve lifetime batteries, help grow a low-carbon economy, optimize technology and create more opportunities for the province.
“There is a collision between the digital world and artificial intelligence machine learning, and the collision between that and the energy industry is a mess, there is a huge amount of opportunities in the space and we are seeing Alberta companies lead the way”.
Schweitzer said Alberta companies are leading the way in the energy industry. And gave examples on how the Alberta government is helping these research companies
He also says this is one of the many areas the Alberta government will continue to invest in in the long term.
With the funding, Schweitzer says this generation and the next generation want to make sure the building has sustainable features and the Alberta government wants to make sure there are tools available for the success of these projects…