Hello Chestermere! Congratulations to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for ending their 29 year drought with a dominating performance in the 107th Grey Cup. Special congratulations to Andrew Harris as the first player to win both Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian. And what a great Grey Cup Week! I had the great pleasure of singing at Alberta House and it was a real honour to be joined by the Premier and the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Lois Mitchell at many of the Grey Cup Week events and at the coin toss to start the game. Whether you made it to the game, went to a Grey Cup party, or just stayed home and watched on TV I think you will agree that the Grey Cup showed Calgary and Alberta’s hospitality at it’s finest.
The thousands of fans that attended from all across Canada did more than provide an economic boost. CFL fans are a family, and a family looks out for each other. CFL Fans Fight Cancer has been raising money for local cancer care in the Grey Cup host city for 12 years now and this year they raised over $11,000 dollars! CFL players are also a family and it shows. It’s great to see the players supporting the War Amps with their Play Safe program. Another way the league gives back with the full support of the Players Association is their efforts to raise awareness and combat the scourge of domestic violence. I was honoured to attend a networking breakfast with League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie and issue a joint statement. The Provincial Government is partnering with the CFL in raising awareness and supports for victims of domestic violence. This partnership is a Canadian first and I am proud to report that Alberta is leading the way. Both the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders have formed partnerships with women’s organizations to provide training to players and coaches in support of the league’s zero tolerance domestic violence policy, in place since 2015. The league encourages players and coaches to get out in the community to speak about this issue and as we all know there is much more to be done. November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women, which began in 1991 as an initiative of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute, and kicks off the international 16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
We didn’t have any Alberta teams in the Grey Cup but we do have a national football champion! Congratulations to the University Of Calgary Dinos who brought home the Vanier Cup, defeating the University of Montreal Carabins in Quebec City.
Our local business community does more than provide jobs and services, they can be counted on to step up and help people in need. Kudos to Rainbow Falls Dental for donating oral care products to the Delacour Community Club’s Vashty Dansereau and Ronna Anderson for their Women In Need initiative. These will be distributed to Inn From The Cold, the Women’s Centre, and Ronald McDonald House. Personal hygiene items are always needed and very much appreciated.
As always, we love to her from you.
