THE GRAPEVINE. April 2017 Edition - Message from the President

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1 EDMONTON MARIGOLD 55 PLUS RECREATION Zone 6, Alberta 55 plus THE GRAPEVINE Inside this issue: Message From the President 1 Executive List, Zone 6 AGM 2 AGM (continued); 3 Provincial Coordinator Provincial AGM; Request for 4 Articles; Creative Writing Tribute to Jessie Trottier; 5 Edmonton Walk of Fame Coordinator Contacts 6 Provincials What s New, What s 7 Next? Zone 6 Activity Calendar 8-9 Curling, Culture (Crafts), SloPitch 9 Coordinators Appreciation Dinner 10 Playoffs for Golf, Carpet Bowling, 11 Floor Shuffleboard Playoffs for 5 Pin Bowling & 12 Badminton/Pickleball Tennis, Darts Playoffs for Military Whist & 13 Cribbage; Bocce & Cribbage Fun Tournaments Charitable Donations; 14 Membership Cribbage; New Coordinators; 15 Scrabble; Marigold Office Canada s 150 th Birthday Feature General Interest 18 Pickleball; Vic Fedyna 19 Editorial Motivation 20 Membership Form Photos 23 Back Cover 24 April 2017 Edition - Message from the President Now that Spring has sprung, (I think!), the geese and crows are back, we are looking forward to the warm days of summer, and to being outdoors. The Annual General Meeting was held on March 22 nd. Elections were held in which Vice President, Treasurer, Membership Director and Publicity Director were filled, as well as Directors at Large. Welcome aboard to all! I would like to THANK Stan, Ray, Jessie and Bill for their years of service. Job well done! Thank you also to the Executive and the Coordinators and Assistants who helped make this a great year. The Summer Provincials are in Calgary August 10 th and 11 th, 2017, and the Fall Provincials are in High Prairie September 15 th to 17 th, The Zone Playoffs are held between April and June, and the details are published in this edition (see pages 8 & 9). Look for the activities in which you can participate to go to the Provincials. Good Luck to you all! Thanks to all for renewing your membership. There will also be Fun days, and these are listed in the Activity Calendar as well. Enjoy your summer in whatever you do. I know I will be touring Alberta, and enjoying parts that I haven t seen before. Caroline Anker, Edmonton Marigold President 1

2 Executive Caroline Anker President att: Caroline ) Pat Covington Vice-President (pcovngtn@telus.net ) Marshall Yaremcio Past President (marshmy@telus.net ) Bob Blackwood Treasurer (bblackwood@shaw.ca ) Eleanore Frend Secretary (elfrend@telus.net ) Marianne Gregory Membership Director (mjgregory@shaw.ca ) Louise Libich Activities Director (lrlibich@shaw.ca) Linda Biedrava Director at Large (elbiedrava@gmail.com ) Marilyn Fleger 780- Publicity Director (marilynfleger ) Gordon Severin Director at Large (Casino) (gordseverin@hotmail.com ) Pat Chobater Director at Large (patriciachbater@hotmail.com ) Director at Large (Vacant) Marshall Yaremcio Newsletter Composition (marshmy@telusplanet.net ) Eleanore Frend Newsletter Compilation (elfrend@telus.net ) The people listed above are the people responsible for the direction and leadership of YOUR Edmonton Marigold 55 plus Recreation organization. Thank you for your trust in awarding these duties to us. THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Annual General Meeting President Caroline Anker welcomed everyone, and a quorum was established with more than 55 members present down from 67 members in A moment of silence was observed in honour of those members who had passed away March Twenty-one Long-Service pins and certificates were presented to continuous members. (Photo on page 23.) They were: 10-Year Members: Linda Benediktson, Benno Kappel, Joe Walter, Sandra Ward, and Marshall Yaremcio 15-Year Members: Jimmy Choo, Delores Heck, Don Holtom, Jim Knull, Sonja Kosowan, Richard Masikewich, Sylvia Masikewich, Dorothy May, Don Sagriff, John Stewart and Steve Szpital. 20-Year Members: Wally Hawryschuk 25-Year Members: Eric Eisner 30-Year Members: Hanna Andersen and Victor Fedyna When Marshall Yaremcio was presenting Jimmy Choo with his 15-Year certificate and pin, and shaking his hand, Jimmy became so excited he gave Marshall a peck on the cheek a highlight of the evening! Past President Marshall Yaremcio chaired for the Election of Officers. Our new slate of Officers is as follows: President Caroline Anker Vice President Pat Covington Past President Marshall Yaremcio Treasurer Bob Blackwood Activity Director Louise Libich Secretary Eleanore Frend Membership Director Marianne Gregory Publicity Director Marilyn Fleger Director at Large Linda Biedrava Director at Large Gordon Severin Director at Large Pat Chobater Sincere thanks to Pat Covington who agreed to stay on for another term, to Marianne Gregory who moved laterally to Membership Director, to Bob Blackwood for taking on being Treasurer, to Gordon Severin returning as Director, to Marilyn Fleger in Publicity, and Pat Chobater as a new Director. Welcome to Bob, Marilyn and Pat who are all new to the Board. 2

3 Annual General Meeting (Continued): As well, our sincere thanks to those retiring from their positions on the Board: Ray McMurray (Treasurer), Stan Androschuk (Membership Director), Bill Burton (Director at Large) and Jessie Trottier (Director at Large). We are happy to welcome back Gordon Severin as a Director at Large; Gordon is in charge of arranging and organizing our fundraising Casinos, and as manager it is a requirement by the Gaming Commission that he be a member of the board. The office of Publicity Director has been vacant for some time, and after some fervent encouragement from Marianne Gregory, Marilyn Fleger agreed to take on the role. Well done Marilyn! Marianne Gregory takes over from Stan Androschuk as Membership Director, and our gratitude to Stan for making himself available to mentor and guide Marianne as she learns the in s and out s of this big role. After the meeting, Pat Chobater graciously agreed to become a Director thank you Pat and welcome! We still have one Director at Large position vacant; if you would like to become an executive member, contact President Caroline Anker or Vice President Pat Covington for more information. With Ray McMurray completing his term as Treasurer, and choosing to leave for health concerns, we were left with a very demanding office to fill. Several members were nominated, but all declined the office. At the end of the meeting, having mulled it over for a time, Bob Blackwood volunteered to take on the office of Treasurer. Your choice to do so is very much appreciated, Bob, and we all look forward to working with you. Bob also is Coordinator for Bocce and Cribbage. We sincerely thank Ray for serving for multiple terms as Treasurer, and wish him the very best in regards to his health. Volunteers help Marigold 55plus come to life, adding much value to our membership with their leadership, skills and expertise. Volunteers they re our secret heroes who willingly give their time and talents to support organizations and communities, and are so deserving of our appreciation. To those who serve as Executive members, Coordinators, Assistant Coordinators, Helpers, and as Office Volunteers we say THANK YOU! Most of our volunteers serve in more than one capacity, and many do the same for several organizations as well as Marigold. The adage If you want something done, ask a busy person is very obviously true in this instance. Provincial Coordinator Zone 6 Edmonton Marigold has a new Provincial Coordinator, and his name is John Gregory. Having John attend our AGM was just great, and this is only the second time we have had a Provincial Coordinator come and take part in our AGM. The first time was when Chad Monner was Coordinator, and Chad showed us how to really take advantage of the computer age by registering online, organize fundraising, and advertise our activities and events online. Seven years later we have another caring, talented and computer savvy Provincial Coordinator who is willing to show our members how to use the newer systems, and share how he is tidying up our Provincial website. He emphasized that he was here to help in any way that he is able, in getting our website functioning properly, and helping with workshops on how to access the system. For some time we have been trying to set up a Zone 6 website, without success. With John s assistance, Zone 6 is now able to utilize the Alberta 55plus website at Coordinators wishing to add an event or information to the website should contact Louise Libich who will coordinate this. To get in touch with John we can him at info@alberta55plus.ca. Many thanks to John for coming to our AGM it was very much appreciated. This April newsletter will be posted online at the Alberta 55plus website enjoy! 3

4 Provincial Annual General Meeting at Red Deer Our Provincial Annual General Meeting will be held in Red Deer on Monday, May 8 th, 2017 beginning at 10:00 am. The venue is the Radisson Hotel located at th Street (formerly the I Hotel). We encourage members to try and attend and support the organization. Elections will be held for the important offices of President, Vice President South, Vice President North, as well as others. Members who intend driving down to Red Deer for the meeting, who have space in their vehicle for one or more others, are requested to phone the Marigold office ( ) between 1:00-3:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and leave their name and contact information. Members wishing to get a ride can also phone the Marigold office and our friendly volunteers will try to match up riders and drivers. Thank you to our volunteers for doing this. We look forward to seeing many of you there. Make sure you take your current membership card with you as you will be asked to show it at the door. Request for Articles for Grapevine Newsletter Thanks to those who submitted articles to our Grapevine Newsletter please continue to submit reports on all your events with photos if possible. We really appreciate the articles and photos. If you see or hear of an event, or something which you think might be of interest to our members, kindly phone, , or snail-mail me or any Executive member, or drop it off at our office at Central Lions. We d like to get that information out to our members, or into our Newsletter. Thank you. We are depending on our members to keep our Membership Director Marianne Gregory updated on any change to your contact information most importantly your address. If you do not have e- mail access, your newsletter will still be sent via Canada Post. Marshall Yaremcio, Editor Creative Writing Marshall Yaremcio Your Creative Writing Coordinators, (Marshall and Eleanore), are trying to come up with something special for 2017 capitalizing on the fact that this year our wonderful country celebrates its 150 th birthday. We want to encourage our writers to keep on writing even though this is an off-year with no official competition planned. The deadline for entries is tentatively set for June 22 nd, The categories are Short Fiction, Non-Fiction and Poetry. We are hoping to contact all Creative Writers in Alberta 55plus across Alberta to get them to join in. This might develop into some version of a competition, or it may end up just being a compilation of everyone s entries made into a book, which can be posted online for everyone to read. Consideration is being given to also publishing such a book, but costs will dictate whether this is feasible or not we will keep you posted. The theme for the writing should centre on Canada, focusing on: What it means to me to be a Canadian My personal story on how I became Canadian The best things about Canada are The history of your family, and how they came to settle in Canada The best way to celebrate Canada s 150 th birthday The importance of Canada s role in the World, past, present and/or future At present we are working with our Provincial Coordinator John Gregory figuring out the best way to handle entries. John will be instrumental in helping us to put all the entries into book form. If you think of a snappy or fitting of a title for this book, please send it along to Marshall at marshmy@telusplanet.net or Eleanore at elfrend@telus.net. Most Alberta 55plus zones like the idea of keeping our Creative Writers involved during off years. John Gregory proposed this idea to them at the last Zone Presidents meeting. Members interested in participating should Marshall or Eleanore who will keep them posted on all the perameters and logistics. 4

5 Tribute to Jessie Trottier THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Jessie is our very own nonagenarian (a person between the ages years). She is hard working, devoted, most pleasant, has a wicked sense of humour, and faithfully came to all executive meetings and general meetings except, of course, unless she was in Mexico enjoying sun, surf, and the attentions of adoring family and assorted fans. She is our in-house historian, and is a great role model to all of us. Her attributes are endless! Jessie came on board in 2005 when Edmonton hosted the Alberta 55 Plus Winter Games. She took on a big job as Treasurer, plus being Zone 6 s representative to the Provincial Board, reporting back to our executive on all issues. She appointed herself as the one in charge of sending well wishes and birthday cards, which was much appreciated by all. Jessie retired in 2008, citing too many meetings for a lady of her delicate vintage. Jessie thoroughly enjoyed upgrading her skills by attending instructional retreats in Nordegg Goldeye Centre. Her passion for playing Contract Bridge (second only to holidays in Mexico) resulted in her becoming the Contract Bridge Coordinator from Her efforts all contributed towards Edmonton Marigold being such a vibrant and fun-filled group. Following her retirement, she continued to enjoy playing Contract Bridge, and attended all our AGM s, often offering insight and positive suggestions and solutions in resolving many issues. She never failed to offer encouragement and appreciation to all our volunteers, and was not averse to administering a verbal kick in the pants when needed. At the 2015 AGM, when all efforts failed to bring forward people willing to serve on the executive, the spry 91-year-old took the podium and proceeded to put us all in our place. She explained that this was our organization, and we all have a responsibility to step-up-to-the-plate ; that without a quorum of members on executive, we could not function no motions could be made or passed, no cheques could be written, and our doors would soon close. She then volunteered herself to be a Director at Large, leading by example as she had done so many times. Members did indeed step-up-to-the-plate and the offices were filled. Thank you Jessie! This March Jessie retired again after having served her full two-year term as Director at Large. At our AGM in March, she took the floor, thanking everyone for their cooperation and participation during the time of her own membership, saying that she hoped everyone would continue to support and work for this wonderful organization. We the Marigold membership wish you well Jessie, and we hope that you will continue to attend our AGM s, because we need your brand of enthusiasm and joie de vivre! Bring some photos of your times in Mexico! Jessie you are one classy lady! Walk of Fame on 118 th Avenue Starting at 97 th street and 118 th avenue, and continuing on to 34 th street, is Edmonton s own Walk of Fame. A huge baseball bat at 97 th street is one of many sporting sculptures featured; there are also many decorated small parks, statues and numerous murals. In the early stages of the Walk of Fame, Edmonton Marigold was approached and asked to contribute something, resulting in a mural depicting seniors enjoying all sorts of activities displayed at 94 th street and 118 th avenue. It was painted on the wall of a cream-coloured building, and even though the building next to it burned down in 2011, it survived. It lasted some 20 years. I drove by a few weeks ago to check on our mural, and was shocked to see it has been painted over back to a cream coloured wall. Unfortunately, Edmonton Marigold was not consulted about this, even though our name and contact information was at the bottom of the mural. How sad! 5

6 Coordinator Contacts 2017 Updated: Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Activity Name of Coordinator Phone Number Arts & Crafts Vacant Athletics Arnold Nett ) Dwight Swane ) Badminton Jimmy Choo Bill Burton ( lubill@telus.net ) Bocce Bob Blackwood (bblackwood@shaw.ca ) John Sievers (teetea@telusplanet.net ) Bowling (5 Pin) Caroline Anker (lrlibich@shaw.ca ) Pat Chobater (patriciachobater@hotmail.com ) Bridge (Contract) Valerie Rappel (valrap16@@gmail.com ) Bridge (Duplicate) Lloyd White (lloyd.white@ualberta.ca ) Louise Holtom (louiseholtom@gmail.com ) Carpet Bowling Louise Libich (lrlibich@shaw.ca ) Creative Writing Eleanore Frend (elfrend@telus.net ) Marshall Yaremcio (marshmy@telusplanet.net ) Cribbage Bob Blackwood (bblackwood@shaw.ca ) Delores Heck (dedeheck@telus.net ) Cycling Harvey Ford (hcford@telus.net ) Ilene & Richard Larson (ilarson@shaw.ca ) Darts Eleanor & LeRoy MacIntosh (themacs12@shaw.ca ) Lloyd White (lloyd.white@ualberta.ca ) Euchre John & Linda Frank (jlfrankedmonton@gmail.com ) Linda Bird (rbaker7@telus.net ) Floor Curling Mike & Vicky Dolynny (mikedoly@telus.net ) Vacant Floor Shuffleboard Louise Libich (lrlibich@shaw.ca ) Pat Chobater (patriciachobater@hotmail.com) Golf Ray McMurray (rsmcmu@telus.net ) Paul Davison (mastewart48@gmail.com ) Hockey Gordon Severin (gordseverin@hotmail.com ) Wally Hawryschuk (wlhawk@telus.net ) Horseshoes Interim - Eleanor & LeRoy MacIntosh (themacs12@shaw.ca) Ice Curling Vacant Military Whist Joyce Ruptash (ruptash@shaw.ca ) Delores Heck (dedeheck@telus.net ) Pickleball Vacant Pool (Snooker) Zane Loga (zloga@shaw.ca ) Pool (8-Ball) Eric Fayant Scrabble Clint & Geneva Sopchyshyn Skiing (Cross Country) Vacant Skiing (Downhill) Larry Comfort (lecomfort@shaw.ca ) Bob Frizzell ( bobfrizzell@shaw.ca ) Slo-Pitch Bill Yakymyshyn (yakymy@telusplanet.net ) John Cabaj ( jpcabaj@gmail.com ) Swimming Dwight Robinson (dm.robinson@shaw.ca ) Kathleen Harper (klharper@telus.ca.) Table Shuffleboard Vacant Tennis Vacant

7 Provincials What s New, and What s Next - By Marshall Yaremcio, Editor Alberta 55plus is learning to do things differently without provincial funding. It s taking some time to sort it all out, but progress is being made. At the present time, Alberta Sport Connection will be organizing the Alberta Summer Games in 2019; the events and funding may not meet the levels we have enjoyed in the past. Only the Active Sports will be included in these Games. In 2017 Alberta 55plus is holding Provincials. On August 10 th and 11 th Calgary (Zone 3) will host Summer Provincials including Badminton, Cycling, 5-Pin Bowling, Golf, Horseshoes, Ice Hockey, Pickleball, SloPitch, Swimming, Athletics, and Tennis. These Provincials begin at 10:00 am Thursday (August 10 th ) and are scheduled to finish by 4:00 pm on Friday (August 11 th ). In this way, participants will be able to drive in Thursday morning, and home on Friday, thereby incurring the cost for only one night s hotel accommodation. There is a banquet Thursday evening to which all participants are invited. On August 10 th, participants will go directly to their competition venue, and check in at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Medals will be awarded to the top three in every event, and will be presented at the conclusion of each competition at the respective venues. No shuttle buses will be provided. Events are as follows: Activity Events Badminton Men s and Women s Doubles age categories 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, 85+ Extra event Mixed all ages. Cycling Men s 20 km, Women s 10 km age categories 55+, 65+, 75+, 85+. Open 55+ Predicted 5 km Thursday and 10 km Friday. 5-Pin Bowling Men s and Women s Singles age categories 55+, 65+, 75+. Mixed team of Golf Men s and Women s Gross Singles age categories , 75+, 85+. Also Calloway same ages. Horseshoes Open Singles age categories 55+, 65+, in 4 different ringer classes. Ice Hockey Teams of 18 age categories 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+. Pickleball Men s and Women s pairs age categories 55+, 65+, 75+, 85+. Outdoor courts Extra event Mixed pairs age categories 55+, 65+, 75+, 85+. SloPitch Men s teams of 14 age categories 55+, 65+, 70+, 75+. Mixed team age 55+ Swimming Men s and Women s age categories 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, 85+ in maximum of 4 events 50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 75 IM. Predicted Men s and Women s 250 M Thursday, and 150 M Friday. Extra event 4x25M relay. Track & Field (Athletics) Men s and Women s age categories 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+, 85+ in maximum 4 events; 100, 200, 800, 1500, 3000 M, Javelin, Discus, Shot put, Long Jump. Predicted Men s and Women s 800 M Thursday and 1500 M Friday. Extra event 4x100 M relay. Tennis Men s and Women s Doubles age categories 55+, 70+, 75+, 80+, 85+. Extra event Mixed Doubles 55+, 70+. High Prairie (Zone 8) will host the Fall Provincials including Bocce, Carpet Bowling, Cribbage, Contract Bridge, Darts, Duplicate Bridge, Euchre, Floor Curling, Floor Shuffleboard, Military Whist and Crafts. These events (Summer and Fall Provincials) will serve as qualifiers for Canada 55 Plus Games to be held in Saint John, New Brunswick August 21 st through 24 th, The Grand Lady of Alberta 55plus (Board member, Provincial Activity Director, Workshop Organizer, several terms as Zone 8 President, and the list just goes on and on) is known as Mary Z officially Mary Zabolotniuk. This lady (just one of many Alberta 55plus volunteers) has helped to make Alberta 55plus what it is today. Here again, her name just keeps coming up, and Zone 8 is front and centre. First they hosted the 2017 Alberta 55plus Curling Provincials February 17 th -19 th, 2017, and now the Fall Provincials. Mary Z played a big part in making all this happen in Zone 8. More details will be available soon. 7

8 Zone 6 Activity Calendar for Playoffs and Fun Games Date Activity Venue Coordinator Contact Mar. 11 9:30 am Darts Fun Tournament Kingsway Legion LeRoy & Eleanor MacIntosh themacs12@shaw.ca Apr. 11 9:00 am Duplicate Bridge Playoffs Central Lions Louise Holtom louiseholtom@gmail.com Apr. 21 9:00 am Euchre Fun Tournament NWESA John Frank jlfrankedmonton@gmail.com May 6 9:30 am Darts Playoff & Fun Tournament Kingsway Legion LeRoy & Eleanor MacIntosh themacs12@shaw.ca May 16 9:00 am Contract Bridge Central Lions Valerie Rappel Playoff valrap16@gmail.com May 23 9:30 am 5 Pin Bowling Bonnie Doon Caroline Anker Playoff Bowling Lanes paces55@shaw.ca May 26 10:00 am Floor Curling Playoffs NWESA Mike & Vicky Dolynny mikedoly@telus.net May 27 Cycling Playoffs Hawrelak Park Harvey Ford hcford@telus.net May 29, 31, June 1 SloPitch Playoffs Airway Park Bill Yakymyshyn yakymy@telusplanet.net May 30 8:30 am shotgun start Golf Playoffs Raven Crest Golf Course Ray McMurrayrsmcmu@telus.net June 1 9:00 am reg.; 9:30 am start Carpet Bowling Playoffs SEESA Louise Libich lrlibich@shaw.ca June 2 9:00 am reg.; 9:30 am start Floor Shuffleboard Playoffs SEESA Louise Libich lrlibich@shaw.ca June 3 Horseshoes Playoff Kingsway Legion LeRoy & Eleanor MacIntosh themacs12@shaw.ca June 5 5:00 pm Athletics Playoffs Strathcona Athletic Park 1100 Clover Bar Road, Sh. Park Arnold Nett arnold2@shaw.ca June 9 9:00 am registration; doubles 10:00am; singles 1:00 pm June 10 Cribbage Playoffs NWESA Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Joint Badminton and Pickleball Playoff B-Active Jimmy Choo (Badminton) Marshall Yaremcio (Pickleball) marshmy@telus.net June 23 1:00 pm Euchre Playoff NWESA John Frank jlfrankedmonton@gmail.com June 27 9:30 am Bocce Playoff Central Lions Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca June 30 Reg. 9:00 am Play 10:00 am July 22 Reg. 9:00 am Play 9:30 am July 29 Reg. 9:00 am Play 9:30 am Military Whist Playoff Central Room 04 Floor Shuffleboard Fun Games Carpet Bowling Fun Games SEESA SEESA Lions Joyce Ruptash ruptash@shaw.ca Louise Libich lrlibich@shaw.ca Louise Libich lrlibich@shaw.ca

9 Date Activity Venue Coordinator Contact Aug , 2017 Alberta 55plus Provincials Calgary Calgary Zone 3 featuring Badminton, Cycling, 5 Pin Bowling, Golf, Horseshoes, Ice Hockey, Pickleball, SloPitch, Swimming, Athletics, and Tennis Aug. 15 Bocce Fun Games Central Lions Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Aug. 25 Sept , 2017 Oct. 20 Cribbage Fun Tournament Alberta 55plus Provincials High Prairie Mary Hogg Military Whist Memorial Tournament NWESA High Prairie NWESA Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Hosted by Zone 8 featuring Bocce, Carpet Bowling, Cribbage, Contract Bridge, Darts, Duplicate Bridge, Euchre, Floor Curling, Floor Shuffleboard, Military Whist, and Crafts Joyce Ruptash ruptash@shaw.ca Both Calgary and High Prairie are looking for volunteers to help run the Provincials. If you are interested in helping, contact Mary Zabolotniuk at (High Prairie), or Doug Kyle at (Calgary). Curling Alberta 55plus Provincials Ice Curling took place February 17 th through the 19 th in Grand Prairie. Zone 8 did a great job getting sponsors and most contributed towards door prizes. Zone 8 had a total of 32 curlers plus fillins for other teams. The Grand Prairie Curling Centre apparently was an amazing host. As a member of the Marigold Executive Board, I Marshall Yaremcio, would like to apologize for the confusion that led to not getting any of our curlers to Grand Prairie; first to our Coordinator Ross Lepard, and Assistant Derry Ingram for all their work setting everything for playoffs, and secondly to all the curlers who wanted to participate in the Provincials to qualify for the 2018 Canada 55 Plus Games. There were a number of bad judgements made with the limited information presented to us at the time, plus not really investigating things thoroughly for clarification. Again, our apologies to all the members involved. There will be more news later in the year on how curlers from Zone 6 can go to the Canada Games in Culture (Crafts for 2017) Marshall Yaremcio The Interim Coordinator for 2017 for Crafts is Marshall Yaremcio (marshmy@telusplanet.net; ). As mentioned in Culture Within Alberta 55pus Provincials, submitted by Rosella Snopek (Chair Cultural Committee), Culture (Crafts) is taking on a new look. Rosella and I have ed back and forth several times discussing capitalizing on Canada s 150 th birthday (Sesquicentennial) as a theme for both Crafts and for Creative Writing. Rosella, and most of the zones, report they like this idea. If zone 6 crafters would like to enter a craft item(s), please contact Marshall for more information we are trying to set something up to vet our local entries so that winning items can then be submitted to the High Prairie Fall Provincials (September 15-17, 2017). Details and categories are available on the Alberta 55plus website click on Crafts on the right hand side. Arts competition will be held in SloPitch League registration for 2017 is essentially the same as it was for There should be a total of 28 teams formed, which are placed in one of four Divisions depending on players wishes and/or ability. League play will start in early May (weather permitting) and continue into early September. Teams play two (2) games per week. If you are interested, there is room for more players. For more information contact your SloPitch Coordinator Bill Yakymyshyn at yakymy@telusplanet.net or

10 Coordinators Appreciation Dinner The Appreciation Dinner for Edmonton Marigold s Coordinators and Assistant Coordinators was held January 16 th, 2017 in the atrium at Central Lions Seniors Association. Retiring Coordinators Stan Androschuk and Dianne Androschuk were honoured with a gift for their years of putting F-U-N back into Bocce. Stan has also served as Membership Director and will be leaving this position when his term expires at the end of March He plans on being available to mentor and assist the new Membership Director. And it was his initial vision for our beautiful new Zone 6 banner (visible just behind Caroline and Dianne in the photo to the right). Everyone enjoyed the excellent fellowship and the great food all in all a very enjoyable evening. Ela Euro Catering supplied the tasty dinner, and thanks go to them and their staff for helping make the evening a great success good food, good service, and beautiful centerpieces on the tables. And we can t forget to thank Gordon Severin who arranged for the libations for the evening. Caroline Anker did a fine job emceeing the event, and we also appreciate her idea of displaying our new banner for everyone to see, as many had not had a chance to view it. Thanks also to Louise Libich for pocket calendars, and door prizes. And even though Pat Covington was unable to attend and sent her regrets from Phoenix, Arizona we extend her our thanks for arranging the whole event. But, most of all, special thanks to all our Coordinators and Assistant Coordinators, because without you, Zone 6 members would not have a whole year of exciting events and activities in which to participate, compete, and have fun! 10

11 Marigold Annual Golf Day and Qualifying Playoff Tuesday, May 30 th, :30 am Shotgun start Raven Crest Golf Course ( Avenue, Edmonton) This will be a Combination Event Qualification for Provincial Playoffs plus Fun Golf Age categories of 55+, 65+, 75+ and 85+ Winners at Provincials qualify for 2018 Canada 55plus Games Entry Fee - $45.00 includes golf with cart and lunch at 1:30 pm Participants must show their 2017 Alberta 55plus membership card to play. Registrations will be accepted until May 23 rd, Please choose: Do you want to play Fun Golf? Or, if you prefer the Provincials Playoff, you must declare that you will go to the Provincials in Calgary August 10 th & 11 th, 2017 competitors responsible for $65 entry fee, transportation & accommodations. Please bring a personal cheque to pay your entry fee should you qualify for the Provincials. Choose either Gross Singles or Calloway, and include Handicap or Average Score, and Age. Players who are not prepared to go to compete in Calgary Provincials will play in the Fun Round which will follow. Cash Prizes will be based on the number of participants. If you want to play Fun Golf with someone, include their name(s) with your registration. Make a $45 registration cheque payable to Marigold Seniors Recreation, and mail to: Assistant Coordinator Paul Davison A Ave. NW Edmonton T5S 0E2 ( ) mastewart48@gmail.com Carpet Bowling Playoffs Thursday, June 1 st, 2017 At SEESA ( Street, Edmonton) Register by May 24 th, 2017 Registration Fee - $5 Registration 9:00 am; Play 9:30 am Must be a current Alberta 55plus Member Memberships can be purchased onsite Winners qualify to play in the Fall Provincials In High Prairie September , 2017 Bring your membership card and a Personal Cheque ($65) should you qualify for Provincials. Contact Coordinator Louise Libich or lrlibich@shaw.ca Floor Shuffleboard Playoffs Friday, June 2 nd, 2017 At SEESA ( Street, Edmonton) Register by May 24 th, 2017 Registration 9:00 am; Play 9:30 am Must be a current Alberta 55plus Member Memberships can be purchased onsite Winners qualify to play in the Fall Provincials In High Prairie September , 2017 Bring your membership card and a Personal Cheque ($65) should you qualify for Provincials. Contact Coordinator Louise Libich or lrlibich@shaw.ca 11

12 5 Pin Bowling Playoff Tuesday, May 23 rd, 2017 At Bonnie Doon Lanes Bonnie Doon Mall, Basement Registration 9:30 am; Play 10:00 am Please register by May 17 th, 2017 Coordinator Caroline Anker or Must be a current Alberta 55plus Member Memberships can be purchased onsite Winners qualify to play in the Summer Provincials In Calgary August 10-11, 2017 Bring your membership card and a Personal Cheque ($65) should you qualify for Provincials. THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Badminton / Pickleball Joint Playoffs Saturday, June 10 th, 2017 B-Active Badminton Club Avenue, Edmonton 9:00-11:00 am Register by May 20 th, 2017 Registration fee - $5.00 Must be a current Alberta 55plus Member Memberships can be purchased onsite Winners qualify to play in the Summer Provincials In Calgary August 10-11, 2017 Bring your membership card and a Personal Cheque ($65) should you qualify for Provincials. Coordinator Jimmy Choo Assistant Bill Burton lubill@telus.net Interim Pickleball Coordinator Marshall Yaremcio marshmy@telus.net Tennis Notice to all Tennis Players: Any Tennis player wishing to compete in the Calgary Provincials August 10-11, 2017, please contact Activity Coordinator Louise Libich or lrlibich@shaw.ca for more information. Darts A fun dart tournament was held on March 11 th at the Kingsway Legion. 16 people had registered to attend, but only 13 showed up. They played 501 and the winners were (Men A) Dave Formstone, 2 nd Mac MacIntosh, (B side) Jim Clifford, 2 nd Richard Fahrion, (Ladies A) Louise Holtom, 2 nd Dianne Androschuk and Anna Fahrion, (B side) Eleanor MacIntosh, 2 nd Caroline Anker and Louise Libich. Then they played golf; ladies played 9 holes; 1 st Louise Holtom, 2 nd Caroline Anker, 3 rd Eleanor MacIntosh. Men played 18 holes; 1 st Dave Formstone, 2 nd Lloyd White, 3 rd Stan Androschuk. They they stopped for lunch which everyone enjoyed. Two people had to leave so then they had 11 people to play on mixed teams. Warfare 1 st Dave Formstone, Caroline Anker and Mac MacIntosh. 2 nd Stan and Dianne Androschuk and Anna Fahrion. B Board Jim Clifford and Richard Fahrion; 2 nd Lloyd White, Louise Libich and Eleanor MacIntosh. Cricket 1 st Dave Formstone, Richard Fahrion and Eleanor MacIntosh; 2 nd Mac MacIntosh and Dianne Androschuk. B Board Jim Clifford, Louise Libich and Caroline Anker; 2 nd Stan Androschuk, Anna Fahrion and Lloyd White. As you can see Dave Formstone had a very good day. He was the 2016 triple gold winner in Brampton, Ontario. Gold for men 55+, gold for mens doubles, and gold for mixed doubles. Congratulations to Dave great darting! Eleanor and LeRoy MacIntosh, Coordinators 12

13 Military Whist Playoffs Friday, June 30 th, 2017 Central Lions Room 4 (113 St. & 111 Ave. Edmonton) Register 9:00 am; Play 10:00 am Registration fee of $5 per player Register as a team of 4 players please Coordinator Joyce Ruptash ruptash@shaw.ca Players must have current Alberta 55plus membership available for purchase onsite First & Second place players qualify to go to High Prairie Provincials September 15-17, 2017 Bring a personal cheque for $65 should you qualify for the Provincials. THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Bocce Playoffs Tuesday, June 27 th, 2017 Central Lions (113 St. & 111 Ave., Edmonton) Registration Fee $10 per player Coordinator Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Players must have current Alberta 55plus membership available for purchase onsite Winners qualify to go to High Prairie Provincials September 15-17, 2017 Bring a personal cheque for $65 should you qualify for the Provincials. Cribbage Playoffs June 9 th, 2017 NWESA ( Avenue NW, Edmonton) Register 9:00 am Doubles 10:00 am; Singles 1:00 pm Registration fee $5 per player Coordinator Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Players must have current Alberta 55plus membership available for purchase onsite Winners qualify for High Prairie Provincials September 15-17, 2017 Bring a personal cheque for $65 should you qualify for the Provincials. Bocce Fun Tournament Tuesday, August 15 th, 2017 Central Lions (113 St. & 111 Ave., Edmonton) Registration Fee $10 per player Coordinator Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Players must have current Alberta 55plus membership available for purchase onsite Of course I talk to myself! I need expert advice, don t I? Cribbage Fun Tournament Friday, August 25 th, 2017 NWESA Coordinator Bob Blackwood bblackwood@shaw.ca Whoever said, Do the job right the first time, and you won t have to do it again, never shoveled a Canadian driveway in Winter! 13

14 Charitable Donations Several years ago, Marigold Grapevine printed an article about Charitable Donations made to Edmonton Marigold. Alberta 55plus Recreation Association is registered as a Charitable Organization and can receipt donations for income tax purposes. In the past several members who worked with Telus (through their long service) were offered donations in their names to their Charitable Organization of choice. Marigold 55plus was the recipient of these donations. Our recent donation was made by Clint and Geneva Sopchyshyn it is very much appreciated. Thank you from all our members! If you wish to make a donation, make out your cheque to Alberta 55plus Recreation Association; they will process the cheque, issue a receipt, and then issue a cheque to Edmonton Marigold 55plus Recreation. This way, you will get the proper receipt required for income tax, and our organization receives the full monetary value of the donation. Free National Film Board Documentaries In past newsletters, we have asked members if they have items of general interest to add to the newsletter. The following is one of the responses received (thank you). Bonnie Doon Community League volunteers host a monthly Thursday get-together for seniors at Bonnie Doon Hall. Everyone is welcome to come out to watch National Film Board documentaries, followed by contemporary short animation films. The films start at 10:30 am, and they are free to attend. A light lunch is served at 11:45 am for a $2 charge per person (note this is a great lunch for $2!). Sponsors help maintain it as an affordable program. Upcoming Events: April 20 th In the Shadow of Gold Mountain (2004 May 18 th Henry Ford s American (1977), Moon Man (2004) June 15 th Finding Farley (2009) Bonnie Doon Hall is located at rd Street, and it is wheelchair accessible. For more information access history@bonniedoon.ca or Have you ever noticed that Old Age comes at a bad time? THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Membership Smile! For the cost of one average dinner ($30) you can afford to invest in an Edmonton Marigold 55plus Recreation membership for the whole year! Just think! Then your only obstacle will be to choose from the numerous recreational activities available to you. You compete in the active sports in age categories (5-year increments), and passive sports in 55+ and 70+ age categories. Winners in the active sports qualify to compete in the Calgary Provincials August 10 th and 11 th against 7 other zones. Then September 15 th through 17 th, winners in the passive sports qualify to compete in the High Prairie Provincials. Winning at either of the Provincials qualifies you to enter and compete in the Canada Games in St. John, NB August 21 st to 24 th, One rewarding aspect of Alberta 55plus membership is the annual presentation at our Annual General Meetings of commemorative pins and certificates to devoted people who have proudly held continuous membership for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years. Some of these elder members are even inviting their aging children to join our organization. So kindly spread the word of our organization to the young 55 plus people you encounter, and also to those in between (55+ to 100+). An incentive to increase membership was implemented several years ago, and is still in force today. Any member who brings in a new member in 2017 that is someone who has never been a member of Alberta 55plus will receive their membership for the next year free of charge. Towards the end of 2016 we had 347 paid-up members, including our 8 lifetime members (Vic Larson, Val Ulmer, Hanna Anderson, Arnold Nett, Gordon Severin, Derry Ingram, and Pat Covington). The Marigold Executive seeks your support in recruiting new members, and also enlisting new and existing members to become Coordinators, Assistant Coordinators, and members of our Executive and Board. Our future lies in and depends on a succession of new directors, new coordinators and assistants, and new approaches and new ideas! We welcome new people to our membership, and to leadership positions. Existing Executive members and Coordinators are available, and happy to mentor members new to any of these leadership roles. 14

15 Cribbage THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 The following are Cribbage events for players willing to invest a dollar to win a dollar! In some cases, you have lunch included in your cost. Check it out! North East Edmonton Seniors Association (NEESA) ( th Avenue, Edmonton) Fun Cribbage Doubles Saturday, May 13 th, 2017 $40 per team 10 Games plus Lunch Senior Citizen s Society Stony Plain, Alberta Cribbage Fall Tournament September 16 th, 2017 Contact Shirley Phone Welcome New 8 Ball and Snooker Coordinators Edmonton Marigold welcomes two brand-new Coordinators for 8 Ball and Snooker. They are Zane Loga ( ) and Eric Fayant ( ). They are still working things out and learning the ropes. We look forward to meeting you both at the next Coordinators Meeting. Scrabble Regular play Scrabble is nearing the end of the season in the next few weeks. It will return again September 17 th, If you would like more information on Scrabble, call Clint or Geneva at Marigold Office Zone 6 has a permanent office at Central Lions Recreation Centre. Edmonton, AB T5G 2V1, and our phone number is Our address is Street, If you have any inquiries, please contact us at the number listed above, and speak with one of our friendly volunteers, or leave a message on the answering machine. A huge THANK YOU to those members who put in time at our Marigold office to answer the telephone and questions, and to greet visitors. If you would like to volunteer to take a shift at our Marigold office, please phone Eleanore at or her at elfrend@telus.net, or you can call the Marigold office at and leave a message on the answering machine. Change of Marigold Office Hours And speaking of the Marigold Office, the hours that the Marigold office will be open have changed. The office will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 pm. We had comments from a number of our volunteers that the former hours often interfered with being able to do something else during their day to work. This way, our volunteers will be able to schedule another activity in the morning, and still be able to work in the office in the afternoon. The office will be closed during the month of December, but will reopen January 3 rd. If you would like to learn more about Marigold, and would like to volunteer, you can get in touch with any member of our Executive. Thank you! And a very special thank you to each and every one of our volunteers our coordinators, our assistant coordinators, executive members, event and activity helpers, and our office duty volunteers for sharing your time, energy, expertise, and talents. What each of us does individually may not seem to be a huge thing, but what we do all together is truly wonderful, and makes Alberta 55plus and Edmonton Marigold great! Thank you all! 15

16 Canada's 150th Birthday - Happy Sesquicentennial! By Marianne Gregory An homage to the 1967 logo, the sesquicentennial logo is created from 13 segments to represent the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada. Its angular forms symbolize our diverse and dynamic cultures. The maple leaf motif is recognized at home and abroad as distinctively Canadian and it fosters feelings of pride, unity and celebration. Created by Ariana Cuvin from Toronto, Ontario, the logo was the winning design in a nation-wide competition. In Goobies, NL, and Sober Island, NS (which has its own brewing company) to Punkeydoodles Corners, ON and Uren, SK and yes even in Dead Man's Flats, AB, Canadians will be celebrating this special 150th birthday. We are Canadians because - as the story goes - Jacques Cartier coined the term in 1534 from a lost-intranslation conversation during his first meeting with the Iroquois after hearing the word KANATA, which means village or settlement and by the 1550's, the name Canada began appearing on maps. The British parliament passed the British North American act in The Dominion of Canada was officially born on July 1, Until 1982, July 1 was celebrated as Dominion Day to commemorate the day that Canada become a self-governing Dominion. Today it is officially known as Canada Day. What it means to be a Canadian is a question that the country's greatest leaders, thinkers and writers have wrestled with since our inception. For many years, the stereotypical Canadian brand was one of Mounties clad in red serge, beavers, maple syrup and a country of polite, beer drinking hockey fans. But these stereotypes don't reflect the current Canadian experience. Canada is one of the world's most socially diverse societies, populated by indigenous peoples, a historic French-speaking minority and generations of immigrants and refugees. In 2011, over 20 percent of Canada's 36 million people were foreign born, originating for the most part in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and America. We've grown as a country and as the Canadian experience changes, so too has our brand and what we stand for as a nation. Although challenges persist, over the last 40 years respect for diversity has evolved into a core national value and a source of shared civic identity. Although we can not only acknowledge our past, we must embrace an independent future where change is inevitable. As Canadians most of us realize we live in one of the best places in the world geographically, politically and culturally speaking. A beautiful country with vast expanses to explore where we can value our rights and freedoms; a country where you can enjoy freedom of expression, political choice, where to live and who to be. It is a progressive, multicultural country with unlimited opportunities. In worldwide ranking Canada consistently comes out on top and was declared second best in the world at the 2016 Economic Forum which ranks nations based on 75 factors. Some interesting facts you may - or may not - know: Alberta joined Confederation along with Saskatchewan in 1905, when the two new provinces - Canada's 7th and 8th - were created out of a section of the Northwest Territories. Canada is home to over 36 million people and has two official languages - English and French - but over 20% of Canadians have another international mother tongue. Canada claimed deep connections to over 200 languages in the 2006 census. As of June 30, 2016, the CPP Investment Board manages over $287.3 billion in investment assets for the Canada Pension Plan on behalf of 19 million Canadians, making it among the 10 largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (L) first established the Canadian Pension Plan. 16

17 THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Canada is ranked seventh in the world for the number of millionaires (assets of $1 million US or more) with 422,000 claiming that title in 2012, accounting for 1.2% of the population. Edmonton had a sizeable number at 14,000 (Calgary, 32,000). Canada has the world's largest recreational trail - The Trans Canada Trail aka The Great Trail (thegreattrail.ca). If you are near The Great Trail which is likely because 80% of Canadians live within 30 minutes of the Trail (download the app and then go use it). Canada has the largest beaver dam. Located in Wood Buffalo National Park which is also home to the largest land mammal native to North America - a herd of 5000 Wood Bison, and also birthplace to North America's largest bird - the Whooping Crane. This vast park contains one of the largest inland fresh water delta ecosystems in the world - the Peace Athabasca Delta. Canada has the world's deepest underground clean lab. SNOLAB is a world-class science facility specializing in physics, located 2 km below the surface in the Vale Creighton Nickel Mine near Sudbury, Ontario. The national colours of Canada were declared by King George V in 1921 to be red and white and are most prominently evident on the country's national flag. Red is symbolic of England and white of France, the colours having been used representatively by those countries in the past. The Canadian flag, after much discussion and debate, was inaugurated on February 15, Canada is the only country with a maple leaf on its flag. Canada has the most polar bears, maple syrup and donut shops per capita. Canada has one fifth of the world's fresh water. Canada stretches across 6 time zones. Yes, Canadians are inspired and inventive. Some inventions we can claim: Artificial Pacemaker Poutine Basketball Robertson Screwdriver Bloody Caesar Snow-blower Canada-arm Steam Foghorn Five Pin Bowling Telephone Insulin Trivial Pursuit Lacrosse Wonderbra As Canada marks 150 years since Confederation, it's a good time to take stock of who we are and what being Canadian means. The question of national identity is always going to be a complicated one, but we have a unique opportunity to refresh our national image, a chance to reflect on our history, assess our present and forecast our future in surprising new ways. The official website for our sesquicentennial is Check out the various events being planned across the province and across the country. Celebrate! 17

18 Ice Fishing - This is a tale of Ice Fishing Delights and Woes by Marshall Yaremcio Lake Wabamun provides good catch and release fishing. Just drive west of Edmonton 45 km to the town of Wabamun, then on to the 150 cm (or 5 feet) thick ice. At least, at the time of writing this article, it was 5 feet thick. If one drives out around 500 yards onto the ice you will notice where other fishermen (and women) have augered holes to fish. Put on your warm boots, jacket and mittens, get out your cheap on-sale ice auger, and look for previous drilled holes. Hint: they may be camouflaged by new-fallen snow and hard to spot! To say that we made some bad judgment calls regarding our augers (my 12 volt electric auger stayed at home, and Brent s gas powered auger stayed at home too) would be kind. After a lot of hard work, sweat, and having to shed our heavy parkas, we managed to auger 4 holes. In Ice Fishing, you are allowed to use two lines also, seniors don t require a license to fish. We set out our teepee, jigs with a bell, and climbed into our covered one-person tents to fish. Because of the dark tents, we could see down our hard-won holes to observe the fish bite our baited hooks. Between the two of us, we caught 1 whitefish, 2 walleyes, and a number of various sized jackfish. We had one huge jackfish come by and take a look at my baited hook I swear he was smelling it for quality; then he backed up, and just swam away, with me watching his l-o-n-g muscular body disappear into the void. The reason for including this article is just to let you know that if a group of seniors, or a family (car load) want to get some sun and a change of scenery I suggest Ice Fishing. There is a man in the town of Wabamun who for $15 per person will drill each person 2 holes to fish, and supply fishing gear and bait. But no shelters they re extra. Bring your own chair or pail (turned over, of course) to sit on. The best time to fish is early morning until about noon. Due to Spring Thaw, the Lake is closed to fishing April 1 st to May 15 th. Reunion Through the Grapevine - Marshall Yaremcio It is gratifying to know that people are actually reading our Grapevine Newsletters! I refer specifically to a gentleman who happened to visit SEESA, and read through the December issue there. His name is Earl Anderson, and it turns out that he and I attended Strathcona High School together some 63 years ago. He recognized my name, and phoned me to see if I remembered him, and if it was okay to call. I was ecstatic to hear from a fellow high-school student we were only 4 bodies apart in our High School Year Book pictures! We arranged to meet several weeks later (January 24 th ) at Central Lions. Earl asked if he could bring along another friend from our high school days Ken Muir; amazingly, they both recognized me when we met up in the atrium. Wow! I felt like I had won a (small) lottery prize! Earl had married a girl from high school, and she too remembered me. He asked if I had married a girl from high school, and I replied, No, I married a girl from Buford, Alberta. Earl said he was born and grew up only 3 miles south of Buford. What a small world! So we had a lot more in common than just going to high school together. We were having lunch when Pat Covington joined us fresh from her vacation in Phoenix. Earl remembered and recognized Pat. We had a great reunion! It just goes to show how random acts on our part can lead to the most enjoyable endings. We all plan on getting together again and reminiscing some more. Pickleball Marshall Yaremcio, Editor The Edmonton Pickleball Club held their annual Tournament on January th at St. Francis Xavier High School (92 Ave. & 163 St.). It was open to all Pickleball Clubs in Alberta. I met players from Bonnyville to Medicine Hat, and all points in between. January 6 th all day was Ladies Doubles, January 7 th was Mixed Doubles, and January 8 th was Men s Doubles. The viewing gallery was on the second floor looking through 2-inch square rope mesh. 18

19 In our CLSA Club we had two winners Catherine Olson and Wynne Shapka who won gold in 3.0 Division. Our pair of Marigold players (also from CLSA and Twerwilleger Park) were Ray McMurray and Marshall Yaremcio who won Bronze in the 2.5 Division. Volunteers from all different clubs were there offering their valuable time to help run the event and it was a huge success! Royal Gardens are working with Alberta Lotteries to get a casino to raise funds to improve their outdoor courts. Community Leagues are requesting assistance to help them start outdoor Pickleball. Volunteers are needed to assist with lessons and play. Rumour has it another two leagues are showing interest as well. It appears that the Boom has Arrived! Groups who have evening and weekend play are meeting with the City to try and get some courts available for off-hours play for Pickleball. This is proving to be a tough assignment as so many other Youth and Sports groups all are competing for court time. A New 2018 Winter Classic Pickleball Tournament (January th, 2018) is already in the works, with space already booked. They are looking for volunteers to help run the event. See you on the courts! It is my view that if Alberta 55plus, and Edmonton Marigold 55plus Zone 6 want to have better success in their Provincials for Calgary, they should follow the lead of the Edmonton Pickleball Club and Royal Gardens Pickleball Club. We need to advertise in all Edmonton Pickleball Clubs regarding playoffs for Calgary; institute a registration fee of $5 or $10, round robin play, medal awards and age groups of 55+, 65+, 75+ to 85+. In order to compete in Calgary at the Provincials, winners would have to first purchase an Alberta 55plus membership perhaps at a one-time offer of $15 good only for the Provincials. The foregoing remarks are just my view my suggestions to increase zone membership and interest in Pickleball, and the same might be applied to other Zone 6 activities as well. Marshall Yaremcio, Editor Vic Fedyna Marigold Member & Legends Athlete was the year the original Dracula with Bela Lugosi was released, Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, the Empire State Building was completed, and Vic Fedyna was born in Viking, Alberta. His parents (John and Anne) were agriculturalists in Bruce, Alberta. Vic graduated from Bruce High School, and enrolled in various North American Colleges, pursuing his passions of Architecture and Barrier Free Design. He married Anne Chmelyk in 1956 and they raised four children (Sharon, Michael, Russell and Margaret. In 1955 Vic was hired by Campbell-Hope Architects in Edmonton. His first project was the Royal Canadian Legion, Norwood Branch. In 1960 he became Chief of Architectural and Engineering Technologists, Transport Canada for Alberta and NWT. In 1967 he became Chief of Architectural and Engineering Minor Works Unit and Coordinator for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and NWT. In 1980 he was promoted to Historic Position where he became Coordinator of the Task Force for Barrier Free Design of Canada. His primary mission was for full physical integration including all disabled citizens into society in Canada. In ten years his team successfully changed the way Canadians interacted forever by getting Building Codes changed and enforced so that all citizens (regardless of disabilities) had the opportunity to function equally in everyday life. This changed history in this country, and subsequently, the world. In 1984 and 1988 he received Tributes of Excellence at Government House in Ottawa, and in 1990 he resigned to embark on private enterprise the Vic Fedyna Resources Group which kept him fully involved with the disabled and handicapped community. Sadly, his wife Anne was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and stroke in 200, and Lou Gehrig Disease, and passed away in It was at this time that Vic drastically curbed operations of his Resources Group. Vic s sporting resumé is as impressive as his career. In 1967 he ran his first 10 km race. He went on to win 398 medals and purses in Athletics (Track and Field) in 5 continents. He has also won medals at Canada 55 Plus Games, Canada Professional Disc Golf, Worlds Professional Disc Golf and World Masters Games. And he has participated in SloPitch for more than 30 years. The fact that both of Vic s parents were physically handicapped might have held another person back, but in Vic s case, he found ways to make the world a better place for the handicapped, and indeed, for all of us. Vic, you continue to be an inspiration to all of us. 19

20 Editorial Motivation Marshall Yaremcio THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 When people are approached with the idea or invitation of doing something new what do we hear? I have never done it whatever it might be. Is this the typical combination of inertia, everyday life, and most of all I ll do it next year mind-set that stops many of us from achieving things great and small? Instead, let s say, I m not going to let another chance slip by I m going to try it! Who knows when there might be another opportunity to feel that combined glow of self discipline and accomplishment? All of which is to say this: make this year one in which you do the things you have perhaps been putting off. Resist the temptation to think that the things that really matter are best left as they are. In reality, aren t our obstacles only us? Being the weird older persons that we are I know speaking for myself I now concentrate on competing against myself. By putting in some effort and determination, at this time next year, you can raise a symbolic (or literal) glass to each other and say, We did it!, or I did it! As our organization ages, so do we as members. Change is inevitable, and has been happening since the inception of Marigold in We have come from square dancing, archery, trap shooting and orienteering to Pickleball, Women s Soccer, and Women s SloPitch. The average age of our membership at the present time is 74. In many of the more active sports (Badminton, Tennis, Cross-Country Skiing and Downhill Skiing, and even the newer sport of Pickleball), it would seem that our members have lost their competitive edge due to aging. Most members still like to participate, but not to compete at a Provincial level. So what is the solution, or the alternative? We have to restructure, and in doing so, we may have to change some of our bylaws. Alberta Sports Connection is a provincial government department, and in our association with them, we seem to be at a disadvantage. We can t claim age discrimination because only in Alberta is there no law in place against age discrimination. Some members are saying it would be easier and more advantageous to market the Alberta 55plus Seniors Recreation Association, Zones 1 to 8, rather than having all the individualized names attached to each zone. In their opinions, it makes for confusion, and thus difficult to market memberships. Everyone should get the feeling they are a part of the whole organization, with one unified name rather than individuals wanting single recognition as a group in their zone. We should see ourselves as Alberta 55plus members period in zones 1-8 throughout the province. Some say a lot of time and work has gone into making us what we are today but that doesn t mean we can t make some changes. Along with this idea, we could institute one colour of sports shirt Alberta Blue with zone numbers on the sleeve, plus the Alberta crest on the other sleeve, making us easily recognizable for Canada Games. If you look at the Drumheller Provincials, Alberta Sport Connection ruled we couldn t have any active sports (with the exception of Pickleball for this one time) just passive sports with no grants or casino funds to help offset Host Community costs. This is not a winning situation for Alberta 55plus no matter how you slice it! So what is the solution? Our Provincial Board is working very hard to somehow get us into a better scenario, but Alberta Sport Connection has the upper hand because they control our name and funds. Some members say the Government can t control what we name our Games. We may have to lobby our government as a group, and as individuals to MLA s all across our beautiful province if we want to see Alberta 55plus continue to succeed or we might fall under Big Government. If we are going stand up to government, we have to get all our facts correct, members! As an organization we still want to keep seniors active in mind and body. Everyone please get out and support Edmonton Marigold 55plus. Register for playoffs bring a new member with you enjoy have fun and tell everybody about our great organization! There are many individuals volunteering their time and knowledge and efforts to the success of Alberta 55plus Zone 6. 20

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23 Some Photos of Interest THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 Paintings CLSA 50 th Anniversary Silent Auction, some were painted by Marigold Members New stairs near Fort Edmonton Park to River Some Winter scenes around town pine grosbeaks, hoar-frosted birch tree, & a young eagle Long Service Pin Awards at Zone 6 AGM 23

24 Return Address: Edmonton Marigold 55+ Recreation Street Edmonton AB T5G 2V1 THE GRAPEVINE April 2017 To: 24