Ranch Tracker contestants must find flags hidden over 150 acres before being caught by a hunter on horseback
RED DEER — For competitive thrill seekers, a game of Ranch Tracker may provide the adrenaline rush many seek. The playing field is 150 acres of heavily treed, gently rolling hills at the Heritage Ranch recreation area surrounded on three sides by the curving Red Deer River. It’s a giant game of hide and seek. […] Read moreStories by Maria Johnson
Choosing a rural lifestyle, for the family’s sake
On the Farm: Research into holistic nutrition convinced the Poburans that they wanted to grow their own food
SPRUCE VIEW, Alta. — Stephen and Nicole Poburan have made a deliberate decision to raise their family on the farm so that they can give their two young sons, Hayes, 5, and Kett, 19 months, a lifestyle the city just can’t provide. On their home at 4Acres Farm they raise Nigerian dwarf goats and kunekune […] Read more
History reveals store’s many faces
A booming pizza business has become the latest chapter in the fascinating story behind the Pendryl General Store
WINFIELD, Alta. — Kim Butters recalls the day she and husband Jerry Zimmerman took over management of Pendryl General Store from a shared arrangement with her parents, Marilyn Butters and Emile Snoxell. It was Jan. 13, 2000, a bitter cold day. Kim was doing inventory, tediously counting items of fishing gear. “Mom walked out from […] Read more
Central Alberta operation receives an A for diversity
On the Farm: Angus, Appaloosas and Alaskan husky sled dogs are the name of the game at the Appelman place near Westerose, Alta.
WESTEROSE, Alta. — They call it the A Farm — and for good reason. Hans and Jolanda Appelmans raise Angus cattle, ride spotted Appaloosas and race Alaskan husky sled dogs. However, the farm is not exclusive to animals starting with “A” nor is it exclusively agriculture. The mature Angus cows are bred to a Simmental […] Read more
Sew amazing
The Central Alberta Quilters Guild held its annual show in Red Deer April 5-6, attracting quilters and art lovers from across the province. This year’s theme — Challenge Yourself-Inspire Others — recognized the Canada Winters Games that were held in the city earlier in the year. Show entrants were asked to select their favourite quilt, which proved to be an extremely challenging task, considering the 220 pieces of stitched art that were entered. | Maria Johnson photos
The Central Alberta Quilters Guild held its annual show in Red Deer April 5-6, attracting quilters and art lovers from across the province. This year’s theme — Challenge Yourself-Inspire Others — recognized the Canada Winters Games that were held in the city earlier in the year. Show entrants were asked to select their favourite quilt, […] Read more
Old store reinvented and open for business
The 117-year-old general store in Namao, Alta., was once known as Johnny’s Store; it is now home to a local craft market
NAMAO, Alta. — Johnny’s Store has been a fixture in this central Alberta community for 117 years. Its iconic white, black and red exterior with vintage round metal Coca-Cola signs at the junction of highways 28 and 37 is a well-known landmark. “I remember them being there forever,” says owner John McNeilly referring to the […] Read more
Alta. bison farm chooses to work with nature
Handling is kept to a minimum but family must provide sufficient feed and minerals and assure a steady water supply
LACOMBE, Alta. — Visiting Frontier Farm makes it understandable why the Van Haren family — Erwin and Judy, and their son, Roger, and his wife, Katelyn — raise bison. “They take care of themselves,” says Roger. Adds Judy with a bit of a smile: “We handle them with binoculars and a hockey stick with a […] Read more
Alta. 4-H club celebrates 100th anniversary
The East Lacombe Beef 4-H Club is still going strong after 100 years; it is the longest running active 4-H club In Alberta
LACOMBE, Alta. — The East Lacombe Beef 4-H Club will mark its 100th anniversary on June 15, making it the oldest active, continuously running 4-H club in Alberta. Annette Zuidhof, an organizer of the centennial celebration, says the event should prove to be a sort of homecoming for some. “We’re really looking forward to seeing […] Read more
Rural escape house offers visitors history and mystery
The Alta. business is set in an old home and incorporates the area’s early agricultural, military and coal mining history in its theme rooms
NAMAO, Alta. — When is a clock not just a clock? Or a lamp not just a lamp? These are clues to cracking the code and resolving the riddle when working against a timeline to be set free in Locked. The escape house, set in an old home in this central Alberta hamlet, incorporates the […] Read more
Alta. firefighters practice grain entrapment rescue
RED DEER — Grain can be deadly. In mid-October of 2015, three young sisters northwest of Red Deer died in a farm accident when they became buried in canola seed. Earlier that same autumn, a teenaged boy and his grandfather suffered the same fate on a farm in southwestern Saskatchewan. Dave Brand, director of Community […] Read more
