Kayden Prevost is excited to share his work with the community through his first-ever show at the LPAC. His work will be on display from July 31 to September 3.

By Adan Shaikh

For Kayden Prevost, every drawing begins with an idea. Whether inspired by a book, a scene he imagines or a new technique he wants to master, the self-taught artist has spent years refining his skills. Now, he is preparing to share that journey with the community through his first solo exhibition at the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre (LPAC).

The exhibition opens July 31 and runs until September 3, with a meet-and-greet on August 7, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet Kayden in LPAC lobby from 5 to 7 p.m.

Kayden said he has been drawing since he was young, but his passion grew after moving out on his own when his mother encouraged him to build on his natural talents.

“It was during the time when I was like living on my own and my mom somehow inspired me to do this, she knows I am a good drawer and artist and she thought that I need to level up some skills basically,” he shared, highlighting how that encouragement is what led to him acquiring a realistic drawing guide, which has since helped him develop his techniques, introduced him to different pencils, erasers and shading methods.

In his work, Kayden has focused on mastering realism, carefully studying light, shadow and fine details while working through increasingly challenging subjects. He said every drawing has helped him build his skills. Additionally, he enjoys connecting with other artists and can often be found working on his pieces, alongside them at the Camrose Public Library’s Maker Mondays.

“Every one of my drawings is based on my own imagination and it shows basically what I think about. Some pieces are just like a practice, basically, because I was learning through the realistic book, and for those I would take like a week to just practice. Sometimes it takes a long time trying to get inspired, but it is a learning process,” he shared.

Books have also become an important source of inspiration. Kayden enjoys imagining how a character might look if drawn, “I wonder ‘what if I can draw a character exactly like it is described in the book’ and put it out to paper,” he shared.

One of those illustrations even caught the attention of the book’s author, who personally commented on the piece.

The exhibition will be arranged in themed sections, allowing viewers to dive into the range of work Kayden has created over the years.

Kayden, who is on the autism spectrum, hopes people will leave feeling inspired and said he welcomes questions from anyone interested in learning more about his work or his process.
Curator Jane Cherry said she was immediately impressed when Prevost approached her about exhibiting his work.

“I’ve known Kayden for quite a few years, and I’ve always been impressed with how motivated he is and how involved he is in the community. Kayden reached out to me one day, he said ‘can I meet you and show you my drawings?’ So we met at the Lougheed and he brought his portfolio, we went through each piece, and I was just really struck. How he described, what was happening in each piece and how it came about,” she shared.

Jane said the exhibition also offers an opportunity to challenge misconceptions about autism.

“I think a lot of times people that are on the spectrum are very misunderstood, people think that they’re not capable of doing things that they do. And so this show will be very much an awareness piece on that.”

She said every piece tells its own story and hopes the exhibition encourages visitors to look beyond assumptions.

“I just found it very interesting, and thought other people would find it interesting as well. Especially if they themselves are on the spectrum, or they have children, it would broaden their view,” she shared.

The exhibition is free to attend during regular LPAC box office hours, giving visitors the chance to explore Kayden’s work. For more information or to apply to have your work displayed at the Lougheed contact Jane at jcherry62@hotmail.com.

The Camrose Sea Serpents are preparing for the final meet of the season. From left, swimmer Avey Bergstrom, head coach Jana Gau, and swimmer Whitney Zilinski have been training hard at what will be a very competitive event.

By Nadine Leming

The Sea Serpents have been a cherished summer swimming tradition in Camrose for 52 years. The club has deep roots in the community, even holding multi-generational regional and provincial records.
Competing in Region C of the Alberta Summer Swimming Association, these talented young athletes swim from May through mid-August with practice twice a day that includes the pool and dry-land training for strength and conditioning.

Throughout their season these dedicated swimmers compete in eight regular swim meets throughout the season, competing against eight other teams in Region C.

This club is highly competitive against other clubs, the Sea Serpents’ stellar performances earned them consecutive Region C Medium Team Championship banners in the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. In the 2025 season, they achieved their first Medium Team Provincial Championship.

On July 25, the Sea Serpents will be hosting the final meet of the season and will see about 300 athletes from across the region. Head coach Jana Gau said, “It’s a one-day meet giving swimmers an opportunity to see where they fit throughout the province and fine-tuning their skills going into regionals and provincials.”

This is a good opportunity for anyone who’s interested in competitive swimming to come see what it’s all about.

Kirsten Bergstrom is on the Sea Serpents board of directors. She added, “This meet will offer some really incredible competitive swimming. This is what they (the athletes) have been gearing up for, so there will be stiff competition.”

From left, Mayor PJ Stasko; Eleanor Olszewski, minister of emergency management and community resilience and minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada; and Michele Evans, assistant deputy minister, Alberta region for PrariesCan. The officials met at the Camrose Recreation Centre on July 17.

By Adan Shaikh

Officials from the Government of Canada, visited Camrose on July 17 to announce an increase to the Canada Child Benefit, providing more tax-free support to families beginning this month.

The announcement was made by Eleanor Olszewski, minister of emergency management and community resilience and minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada with Camrose Mayor PJ Stasko joining her.

With the new changes effective 2026-27 benefit year, eligible families can receive up to $8,157 annually for each child under six and up to $6,883 for each child aged six to 17. The increase amounts to as much as $160 more per child under six and up to $135 more for older children, helping families combat the rising costs of living.

In Alberta, the benefit provides more than $4 billion annually to about 500,000 families. Across Canada, the program supports about 3.6 million families raising six million children through roughly $30 billion in tax-free payments each year.

“Raising a family comes with real costs, and the Canada Child Benefit helps nearly half a million Alberta families put more money back into their household budgets each month,” said Olszewski.  “By increasing the benefit to keep pace with inflation, we’re helping parents manage everyday expenses, support their children, and build a stronger future right here in Alberta.”

Stasko said the funding will help local families as the community continues to grow.

“Camrose is a wonderful place to live and raise a family and supports like the Canada Child Benefit can help ease some of the everyday costs parents are facing. As our community continues to grow, we appreciate funding that helps families access reliable childcare and supports the services they need to build a good life here,” he said.

The increased payments will take effect this month and are indexed to inflation, with eligible families receiving the updated benefit through the 2026-27 benefit year.