Thursday October 6th, 2011
Chinook Village, Terrace Room
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Tickets are $25 each and include lunch

• Meet and mingle with your colleagues;
• Hear what a panel of media personalities has to say about this year’s trending report;
• Take a look back with five years of trending in this year’s edition of the Medicine Hat Vital Signs Report.

Please purchase your tickets at the Foundation office,
104, 430 6th Ave SE or call 403-527-9038

www.mhcf.ca

September 26, 2011

A National Film Board film detailing a crusade against a soft drinks giant, The Coca-Cola Case, is being presented by Cinema Politica at Medicine Hat Public Library on Monday, September 26, 2011. Screening time is at 7:00 pm in the Library Theatre.

Colombia is the trade union murder capital of the world. Since 2002, more than 470 workers’ leaders have been killed by paramilitaries hired by large corporations intent on crushing the unions. Among these corporate brands is Coca-Cola.

In a legal and human rights battle, three activists from the United States launch a crusade against the soft drinks giant, via the U. S. federal court and the Stop Killer Coke! campaign. This film documents the fight which ensues, pitting victims searching for justice against the lure of cash and power.

CINEMA POLITICA is a non-profit media arts organization based in Montreal with nearly 100 screening locations all over the world (as of September 2011). Each chapter (“local”) screens independent political documentaries for free or by donation to audiences, with guest filmmakers and speakers often invited to participate. Cinema Politica claims to be the “largest volunteer-run, community and campus-based documentary-screening network in the world”.

Cinema Politica and Monday Night at the Movies/Friends of Medicine Hat Public Library have partnered to present this free program.

For more information about Cinema Politica, go to: http://www.cinemapolitica.org/

For more information about The Coca-Cola Case, go to http://films.nfb.ca/the-coca-cola-case/

City of Medicine Hat staff working in Echo Dale Regional Park this week have spotted what appears to be a cougar, in the vicinity. This is not uncommon as many areas of Alberta report cougar sightings each year.

Signs will be posted at the Park warning the public of the sighting.

Some safety tips to remember if you spot or encounter a cougar anywhere in your travels:

• Do not run or turn your back.
• Cougars are most active at dusk and dawn.
• If the cougar appears to be unaware of your presence, gather children and pets in close, slowly and cautiously back away and leave the area.
• If the cougar spots you keep eye contact as you slowly back away to safety.
• Pick up or remain holding small children.
• Look larger than life.  Raise your arms above your head to make yourself look larger than normal. This may help to intimidate the cougar. You may also want to throw rocks and yell at it. Aggression will often scare it off.
• Report the sighting to the local Fish and Wildlife Office at 403. 529.3680

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The National Film Board documentary, Force of Nature: the David Suzuki Movie, will be shown at 2.00 pm on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Medicine Hat Public Library.

In this recent film, the director, Sturla Gunnarsson, interweaves a lecture by noted Canadian environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki, with scenes from Suzuki’s life and lifetime covering the major social, scientific, cultural and political events of the past 70 years.

This film is being presented by Medicine Hat Public Library and the National Film Board’s NFB Film Club as a joint presentation.

This program is free and will be shown in the Library Theatre.

For more information go to www.nfb.ca or contact Hilary at 403-502-8533 or hilmun@medicinehat.ca

Xanthe Isbister, RBC Emerging Artist Award Nominee

Local Artist, Xanthe Isbister is up for nomination for the 2011 RBC Emerging Artist Award by Chief Curator of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Helen Delacretaz.

Xanthe writes that, “I have lived in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and am the only artist nominated from across Canada that is representing the prairies and would really appreciate the support!”.

You can vote for Xanthe by clicking here.

The five finalist works will be displayed in the museum and on the museum website for a designated voting period of one month, plus an additional length of time after the voting period to be decided by the museum.

The artist who receives the greatest share of the popular vote from museum visitors and online voters will win the award. The award exhibition dates for 2011 are September 2 to October 3, 2011.

About the Award

This award which has been generously supported by RBC is designed to engage the public and raise the profile of several up-and-coming artists,” says Alexandra Montgomery, Executive Director of the Gardiner Museum. “The experts selected the five finalists for their imagination, ability and, most importantly, their potential to contribute to new directions in ceramic art. We hope this award will stimulate the public to participate in a national conversation about contemporary ceramic art, and provide the public an opportunity to actively support the careers of a new generation of Canadian ceramic artists. We are incredibly grateful to RBC for their support and are really excited to provide this opportunity for the artists and the public.

Medicine Hat College is just one week away from its annual homecoming celebration, “Shake, Rattler n’ Roll.” The event is aimed at both alumni and the community, and hopes to bring Hatters of all ages to campus.

The event kicks off on Friday September 16 with an alumni cabaret. Local favourites Mahoney will be performing for MHC alumni, and appetizers and drinks will be served. The free cabaret will take place in the new courtyard outside of Crave as well as inside the campus pub. Anyone who attended classes at MHC is welcome to come and renew friendships with former classmates. Alumni can RSVP to alumni@mhc.ab.ca.

Saturday, September 17 brings the annual Rattlers Hall of Fame breakfast at 9 a.m, featuring the induction of the 1972-73 Kudus women’s basketball team. Community members are asked to come celebrate this historic team with the Rattlers staff and fans. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door and can be purchased by calling (403) 529-3834. Proceeds will support Rattlers Athletics initiatives.

The action continues Saturday afternoon as the Rattlers soccer teams play host to the Lethbridge Kodiaks in their home openers. The women take the field at 12 p.m. and the men at 2 p.m. Both games are free for the public to attend.

After the soccer games, the excitement will carry over to the return of the free ATB Family Fun Zone at 4 p.m. This year’s fun zone will feature several stations, including the ever popular face painting, clown, Wandering Wally, inflatable obstacle course, bungee run and castles. Also, the Lion’s Club will be selling snacks in the Fun Zone area to keep everyone ready for a day of entertainment. Families will especially enjoy the addition of acapella group Hoja. The popular group has performed across Canada for more than 3,000 audiences, including several shows in Medicine Hat, most recently at Spectrum. Hoja will kick off an afternoon and evening of live music when they take to the Family Fun Zone stage at 4:30 p.m.

Inside the main concert gates, the Kinsmen beer garden will be open at 4 p.m. with food service by Earl’s restaurant and Local Public Eatery. The main stage will start rocking at 5:30 with Mahoney, followed by the Rob Hudec Trio. In a change from previous years, the entire concert area is licensed for alcohol, meaning no line-ups for the beer garden. Concert goers are welcome to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for seating.

Canadian hit makers Bedouin Soundclash will take the stage at 8:30 p.m., promising an entertaining close to a full day of community activities. The group will perform hit songs such as “Mountain Top” and “When the Night Feels My Song.” With a modern urban sound mixed with reggae fundamentals, the group is sure to bring a great vibe to the outdoor show.

All of Saturday’s activities are free and open to the entire community, with the exception of the ticketed breakfast. For more information, visit www.mhc.ab.ca or call (403) 504-3643.

ALLEN & ALEXANDER DO DIRTY LAUNDRY
Dirty Laundry Dual CD Release Tour Going “Clean Across Canada”

“Honey and wheat harmonies . . . these women have earned their stripes and they know it. Their songs strike a deep chord.”  – Cowichan Valley News

8:30 SEPT 29 / LETHBRIDGE / Tongue & Groove
8:30 SEPT 30 / MEDICINE HAT / From Scratch
8:30 OCT 1 / TWIN BUTTE / General Store
9:00 OCT 2 / CANMORE / The Drake
8:00 OCT 6 / RED DEER / The Hideout
7:00 OCT 7 / CALGARY / Rocky Mountain Folk Club
4:00 OCT 8 / EDMONTON / The Black Dog Freehouse
8:00 OCT 14 / HIGH RIVER / Gitters

The songwriters first joined forces when they found themselves onstage singing with Jane Siberry on her famous encore “Calling All Angels.” After heading clean across Canada on the first leg of their Dirty Laundry Dual CD Release Tour 2011, duo partners Jenny Allen and Leslie Alexander are returning to BC with their new solo CDs, each produced by BCCMA/BCMIA Producer of the Year John Ellis (Be Good Tanyas, Jane Siberry, Barney Bentall).

“The music here is exceptional,” said Rootsmusiccanada.com about Jenny’s disc Blanket, while Earshot called Leslie Alexander’s “Nobody’s Baby” a “genre-bending, intelligently written, well-performed album.” With each artist a strong voice in her own right, together Allen & Alexander deliver the razor-sharp songwriting and powerhouse performances fans have come to expect from their solo shows – and more. Now sharing seamless vocals, multiple instruments, and much in common, Allen & Alexander agree that their set list – exchanged like a salty heart-to-heart over a load of laundry – contains their most personal songs yet. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »

The Esplanade Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of two new exhibitions, Michael Campbell’s Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting and Craig Cote’s Surfacing: Metaphor and Meditation, on display until October 23. There will be a reception with the artists on September 30 at 7 PM, part of the Downtown Artwalk and Alberta Arts Days.

Field Recordings of Icebergs Melting

Lethbridge artist Michael Campbell’s latest installation presents an eccentric flotilla of small ships – possibly sea or space-going vessels – that are made of driftwood and other ocean debris, weathered and recycled tin, metal strapping, and thousands of nails. Evoking retro-space fiction, Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, and west coast DIY aesthetic, Campbell’s engaging and poignant work also alludes to the exploration which brought Europeans to this continent, and the potentially catastrophic rising waters of climate change which could propel us into space in search of a new home, in the not-so-distant future.

Michael Campbell lives and works in Lethbridge, where he teaches in the Faculty of Art at the University of Lethbridge. He also maintains a studio practice in coastal British Columbia. Campbell received a BFA from the University of Toronto and an MFA from Concordia University in Montreal, and he has exhibited in solo exhibitions at the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art in Winnipeg, Zurich Art International 2003 and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, amongst others. His work is held in public collections across Canada. Visit his website at www.burningcanoe.com.

This exhibition is the result of collaboration with the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, Ontario, and is accompanied by a publication produced by the AEAC, supported by the Esplanade Art Gallery and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, with texts by Jan Allen and Joanne Marion. THE JUMP – Read the rest of this entry »

The Friends of the Monarch are proud to announce the launch of the Monarch’s Centennial Celebration season. A number of events have been planned to celebrate the 100th birthday of this historic building and we wish to extend an invitation to the citizens of Medicine Hat to join us.

The first event is “THE MAJESTIC” which will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2011. Starting at 2pm on Second Street in front of the Theatre, a Vintage Car Show will feature vehicles that would have been on the streets in the 1950s. The 50’s theme continues at 5:30 pm with burgers, fries, and fresh made pie served in 50’s style by carhops. At 7:30 pm, the movie, “The Majestic”, starring Jim Carrey and telling a story set in restored theatre during the 1950s, will be screened in our beautiful theatre. At 9 pm we will move to the historic hall in St. Barnabas Church, another Medicine Hat treasure, to relive the sock hops of yesteryear. The ever popular “Kool Ray and the Hipkatz”, an 8 piece orchestra, will keep the crowd swinging and jiving. A swing/jive dance demonstration and dance competition will showcase some of our local dance “stars”. Downtown merchants have donated wonderful prizes that will be awarded for Best 50’s Costume, Best Dance Couple, and for some old fashioned “spot dances”. A silent auction and refreshment sales (including home-made floats) will help with the fund-raising to enable the restoration of the Monarch and its equipment. Car show, Dinner, Movie and Dance are all included in the $50 ticket price. Tickets are available at: The Monarch Theatre Box Office, Inspire Café, or by calling Judy at (403) 529-9231 or emailing Pamela@beinghumanservices.ca.

The Society of Friends of the Monarch Theatre is a not-for-profit society with our objectives being to promote and fundraise for the Monarch Theatre. The theatre website address is www.themonarch.net

The Kinette Club of Medicine Hat proudly presents:

Team Up For Terry! “It’s got to keep going without me” – Terry Fox, 1980.

Get a team of family, friends, colleagues and come out to Kin Coulee Park on Sunday, September 18th 10am to 1pm. Walk, wheel, run, ride… Everyone is welcome, even four legged friends too! MC Tony Allen (Chat 94.5 FM) will be live on the scene.

The warm up is at 10:45AM, hosted by Janine Matwe from Synergy and the official start will be at 11:00AM. Snacks will be provided. There is no registration fee charged to participate, although we do ask that you make a donation at the site or collect pledges, which may be done online at www.terryfoxrun.org

For more info please contact Saara at saaraparry@yahoo.ca or 403-977-0256