Travis Dolter is a rising country music star from Hay Lakes who may be best known for his high energy performances and a strong ability to connect with his audience.

This engaging performer has always had a passion for music and owns the stage with his magnetic personality, something that was fostered from a young age as he performed with his family.

As a songwriter, Travis has a creative way of storytelling with captivating and engaging melodies. He draws his inspiration to write from country, rock and pop influences.

He has an uncanny ability to read a room and perform to the audience accordingly, having earned him admiration from fans and industry people alike. If you’ve ever seen Travis perform live, his shows segue from country covers to ’50s rock with original music scattered throughout.

As a performer whose venues include theatres, bars, rodeos and festivals, Travis comes across as an authentic professional and true to himself. He is coming off a busy year with 150 shows in 2025 with shows continuing to be booked in 2026.

A dream of Travis’ is coming to fruition. He will be playing the main stage at BVJ this coming summer. He shared, “This is the ultimate dream since I was about six. I’m excited to share the stage with other talented artists.”

In addition to his appearance on the main stage, he will be performing in the songwriter’s tent and closing the weekend out in the beer gardens. Travis also performed last summer at BVJ.

He mentioned, “We performed at the beer gardens and were the only band to get an encore.”

He went on to explain how other artists weren’t as lucky, but this was the last show of the night, and he got the nod to return.

He commented, “We sang ‘The Last Saskatchewan Pirate’ and left the crowd on a high note.”
All of Travis’ hard work is starting to pay off. He has made second ballot consideration for the 15th Annual Country Music Alberta Awards in four categories.

He’s up for Songwriter of the Year for the song “Tailgate Therapy,” the Horizon Song of the Year for “Older Than We Were”, the Horizon Male Artist of the Year and Fans’ Choice.

Fans are encouraged to vote for him for the Fans’ Choice award until January 31. You can vote for him directly through his website. Travis said, “I’ve been nominated for Video of the Year last year and Fans’ Choice two years ago. I’m excited about this year.”

This year, the Country Music Alberta Awards, the biggest country music celebration in the province, will be hosted by Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Dan Davidson.

The award show will be held at the Edmonton Convention Centre on March 22. Tickets are available for the show in the Lammle’s Western Wear FanZone and can be found at www.showpass.com/cmab15fanzone

Travis mentioned, “I’m a fan of cheesy rom-coms. The cheesier, the better.” His love of rom-coms partially inspired his latest single, “Forever With You.”

It’s a song filled with rom-com references that is fun and upbeat. You can find his music on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Don’t forget to stop by his website for a full list of his upcoming performances and to vote for him for the Fans’ Choice Award at www.travisdolter.com

Habitat for Humanity Camrose Society was in attendance at the Committee of the Whole Council meeting on January 19. The organization put forward a request that the City consider allocating land, for the build of up to 20 homes.

“We have put together a proposal for you. One of the biggest hold-backs in what we do is the cost of land, because it is getting more and more expensive. When we first started building in Camrose, we depended on donations from the community, businesses in the area and we are fortunate to have grants from the government, that help us build the houses. With the new federal and provincial grants that are starting right away, we believe this request aligns strongly with the City’s housing goals.

“For the last 30 years, we have been operating and building in the Camrose community and we have built 50 homes and we have helped 56 families,” said Jennifer Edmonds, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Camrose.

The donation of land would help the organization fully leverage the Build Canada Homes funding and support the build of 20 new affordable homes for Camrose residents over the course of the next four to five years. Habitat for Humanity Camrose Society’s commitment in exchange is to prioritize local trades and suppliers, accessible housing options and contribute towards municipal tax and utility revenues.

Mayor and Council directed the administration to look into the potential of land donation and review it under the City’s Land Development Policy.

An award-winning experience, UPU is stopping in Camrose as part of their national tour. The tour is supported by the Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa and the Canada Council for the Arts. This special performance is a co-presentation with the Chester Ronning Centre on March 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lougheed Performing Arts Centre.  The show is a pay-what-you-will event.

This show is poignant and stirring with powerful poetry, riveting narratives and enduring performances. The audience will hear the stories, struggles and the joys of island life across the expansive Pacific Ocean.

UPU means ‘word’ in many different languages of the Pacific islands; the performance  is a symphony of voices from scattered, sea-bound communities, united by the vast Pacific, known as Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. These poems ponder the history, struggles, and cultural identity faced by these communities. From Hawaiians debating Captain Cook’s legacy to the joys of SPAM in Guam and other American-ized islands to the struggle against rising seas around the Marshall Islands.

Written poetry captures one’s attention, but when it’s performed live on the stage, it’s absolutely spellbinding. The performance breathes life into the stage through a cast of spirited Pacific performers, each one with a versatile background in theatre, film and television. They will deliver a passionate expression of words that will carry you across the ocean.

Audiences will enjoy the celebration of the Pacific with the unforgettable adventure that is this intimate story of its people and their stories. This performance is recommended for ages 15+, children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times, and will contain strobe lighting, strong language and adult themes.

After the show, the audience is encouraged to stay for a 30 minute Q and A session with the artists and will be moderated by Dr. Joseph Wiebe, director of the Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion and public life.

For more information on the show, go to www.camroselive.ca
 

At the January 19 Committee of the Whole Council meeting, Jeremy Enarson, City of Camrose’s director of engineering services, shared a report on how City administration continues to work on its federally and provincially required Lead Management Plan to reduce the risk of lead in drinking water.

He shared that the testing shows water leaving the City’s treatment plant contains extremely low lead levels, well below national guidelines. Any risk typically occurs at the tap in older homes where lead service lines or plumbing materials may still be present, which is why updated federal guidelines now require testing at the customer’s tap.

As part of the plan, the City completed required residential sampling and maintains water chemistry that helps limit pipe corrosion. Properties with known or suspected lead service lines may be eligible for ongoing city-supported testing, while homeowners without identified lead service lines can arrange their own testing if they choose.

Currently, Enarson is working on finalizing the Lead Management Plan so it can be implemented in the near future. He emphasized that if lead is found near a home during routine City work, it is collected as information and that known properties where lead pipes have been reported or detected have received annual notifications for the past several years. When underground infrastructure projects take place, the City replaces the public portion of any identified lead service lines.

“I would like to see us provide some sort of filter or pitcher to homes that have lead,” recommended Councillor Joy-Anne Murphy.

To avoid exposure to lead, residents can also take simple steps at home. Let cold water run for several minutes before drinking or cooking, especially if water has been sitting in the pipes. Always use cold water for consumption, and consider a certified point-of-use filter or private testing for added reassurance.

For more information on your home or lead in Camrose, visit www.camrose.ca

The Camrose Adult Learning Centre (CALC) held its annual general meeting (AGM) on January 20 at the centre. After the approval of the agenda and minutes from the 2025 AGM, it was down to business.

Ron Serna is the digital skills coordinator for CALC. He spoke to the board about his progress working with many seniors over the past year with the Tech Talk program which helps participants to better understand how they can use the technology they have. He’s finding that many of them are now coming with a goal in mind on how to use their devices. This has led to the upcoming Canva course that helps participants learn how to use the app.

Linda Olson is the English Language Learning (ELL) instructor. She was in class during the AGM, so Ron Baier, executive director, gave a brief overview of the program and talked about how well she was doing with the program and about the upcoming International Cooking Class beginning on February 3. This class is an opportunity to share cultures, stories and food as participants enjoy conversation over international foods.

The CALC board received the financial statements for the previous year from Ron Baier, who talked about the financial stability of the organization today versus where it was when he took over six years ago. He stated that there was an increase of 358.8 per cent in people accessing learning opportunities over the last four years and about how they’ve managed to do a lot of work with the money they have to work with. The financials presented had been reviewed by Align Accounting and Tax.

Ron Baier felt comfortable with the work of the accounting firm reviewing the financials. Dena Bibo, board chair, asked for a motion that the board secure the services of Align Accounting and Tax for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. The motion was made by board member Alan Erga and was carried.

During the Executive Director’s report, Ron Baier talked about the year in review and how over the last four years, the number of adult learners grew from 68 to 312. He said, “While we always need more volunteers to enable us to offer one-on-one tutoring, our numbers have increased from zero to seven people that provided 272 hours of instruction to 24 learners. I think we need to celebrate these numbers as a significant and impressive achievement.”

Over the past year, CALC has reduced staffing to become more effective and efficient while expanding programming to meet the changing needs of the community. A year end celebration that received positive feedback was held at Jubilee Park that recognized learners, volunteers and community partners.

The Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) prep course is the key element for many adult learners to find meaningful employment. The centre also has a numeracy course that helps the 80+ per cent of adult learners with weak basic math skills and helps prepare them for the CAEC exam.

CALC provides weekly English language learning opportunities for newcomers at all English levels, and exam prep to our classes twice a week for 12 weeks. Instruction covers all language learning skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, while incorporating student directed learning and using real life examples and resources to provide a wide scope of practice required for mastery of concepts.
Basic digital skill programs and classes are delivered in house as well as at various locations. CALC has established and maintained a number of partnerships in Camrose. This availability and flexibility in locations allows them to partner with various organizations. The “out-of-office” locations are crucial for maintaining access, visibility and community engagement; they start the conversation about what learning opportunities look like and what is available.

The new executive committee for the upcoming fiscal year includes: Dena Bibo, chair; Robert Lyslo, vice chair; and Jo-Ellen Lyslo, secretary. On the governance committee is Robert Lyslo, while Rebecca Purc-Stephenson will sit on the Finance and Audit committees. Ron Baier, as executive director, sits on all committees with the exception of the audit committee.

The Mission, Vision, and Belief statements were reviewed and include:

• Mission: Empowering adult learners by providing quality programs and instruction.
• Vision: Discover, learn, create and achieve.
• Beliefs: All instruction begins with the adult learner’s goals. They provide a safe and caring learning environment. Removing barriers creates the pathway to success. Through hope we can reach all people. That in challenges lie opportunities. Supporting our community is fundamental to our existence.
   

The CALC completed the meeting with a review of the revised copy of their  by-laws and announced the next AGM date will be January 19, 2027.

The Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre has a great lineup planned.

Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Glass Tiger will be here for The Acoustic Sessions on March 27, at 7:30 p.m. With songs like “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” and “Someday,” this iconic band has been performing for over 40 years. Be prepared to sing along and dance all evening long.

As one of Canada’s most beloved comedians, Shaun Majumder will make you laugh. The comedian/actor has seen success in both Canada and the US and is now ready to bring his act to Camrose on April 17, at 7:30 p.m.

Rumours: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show rolls into town on May 28, at 7:30 p.m. This group recreates the celebrated band in their heyday. They have found huge success selling out performances at the Roxy Theatre, as well as many theatres and clubs across America. This show is an opportunity to relive a special era in popular music with a magical tribute to an iconic band.

The Edmonton Pops Orchestra will be sharing music from Ticket to Hollywood that features music from the golden age of Hollywood to today’s blockbusters. Prepare for all new music featuring soaring melodies and nostalgic favourites on May 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Hotel California, The Eagles Original Tribute Band, will be here on June 18, at 7:30 p.m.

In addition, shows may be added at later dates.

Tim Isberg is an Alberta-born singer-songwriter with a unique perspective. He can grasp a scene or mood through song poignantly. He will be bringing his show, Prairie Fire to the Bailey Theatre on February 7 at 8 p.m. Tim released the album in 2024 and has been touring the show since then.
This history based album focuses on the Canadian prairies during the late 19th century and will take the audience on an emotional journey, one meant to entertain and educate.

A self-proclaimed history buff, Tim spent most of his life in the military and dug deep into history to artfully pen the 12 songs that make up the album. He touches on events such as the Cypress Hills massacre, the formation of Fort Macleod by the North-West Mounted Police and Manitoba’s first outlaw, Gilbert Gordon.

One of his inspirations is Jerry Potts, also known as Bear Child, was born from a Scottish father and Blackfoot mother. He was able to influence relationships between the Europeans and Blackfoot. Tim actually has a personal connection to him, having gone to school with some of Jerry’s ancestors.

Tim said, “It’s fascinating to realize how much history that happened across a land that didn’t have much population yet, over a short amount of time in the late 1800s. It will take you on an educational journey, but also a look through the window of the past that includes a bit of an emotional up and down.”

Each song tells a true story of moments in history that are told by Tim who has an academic background in Western Canadian history and Indigenous studies. His own ancestral background has five generations worth of people that came out west in the 1870s.

Tim commented, “I’m really pleased with the results of writing the 12 songs that zero in on this 30-40 years in time.” Tim has hopes that one day it can be turned into a musical. He continued, “The show itself is very entertaining. I like to say it’s an educational opportunity as much as it is an evening of superb entertainment.”

After many shows, Tim has audience members that tell him about their stories relating to the show, with many seniors understanding the hardship of breaking land, or not having much. They understand the pioneer spirit that built our country and the impacts to Indigenous peoples.

For him, it’s wonderful to share his songs, music and stories in a way that touches people.
Prairie Fire spent several weeks on CKUA’s top ten list and charted on Roots Music for months in the U.S. and Canada. Tim also has two other albums, Running on the Edge that was released in 2019 and Tears Along the Road, released in 2015. He’s also a published author with his book Everyday Heroes that includes a chapter about his time in Rwanda in the line of duty, which made the national best seller’s list.

To purchase tickets to this show, go to www.baileytheatre.com

Connie Snider is a mobile rural navigator for the Alzheimer’s Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.

She serves the Camrose area by offering support, education and programs for people living with dementia and their caregivers. She recently gave a presentation at the Camrose Seniors Centre to share information about dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Mobile rural navigators provide crucial personalized support, education and help connect people with dementia and their caregivers in rural communities. They make accessing services easier by bringing them directly to communities helping people maneuver the diagnosis and progression of the disease, which can help combat isolation.

They also connect people with the First Link program. This is an early intervention service that helps people with dementia and caregivers with information, support and resources from diagnosis forward. They help them live well with the disease with referrals coming from healthcare providers.

Connie said, “If you’ve met one person with dementia, you’ve met one person with dementia.”

There are over 100 different types of dementia and it affects each person differently. Currently, there is no cure for the neurological disease.

The most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia.
It’s also common to have a variety of mixed dementia symptoms. By 2050, it is estimated that more than 1.7 million Canadians can be expected to be living with dementia, which works out to 685 diagnoses everyday.

The statistics that Connie shared were staggering regarding the disease. She commented, “One in three individuals are impacted directly or indirectly by dementia.”

Connie added, “Caregivers are spending more than 40 million unpaid hours caring for individuals with dementia. That would require 23,000 paid caregiver jobs to cover these jobs.”

She continued, “These statistics are important if you’re talking to government officials or talking about the impact of dementia in our communities because the cost of caring for these people is being covered by unpaid caregivers.”

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness month, led by the Alzheimer’s Society is an opportunity for them to encourage people across the country to learn more about dementia and the impact on the lives it affects.

This year across Canada, Alzheimer Societies are showing up with forget-me- not pins as a reminder that no one should face dementia alone.

January 28 is the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s National Day of Action. Canadians are encouraged to wear forget-me-not pins and use the hashtag #ForgetNoOne, and share stories that end the stigma around dementia, ensuring no one faces it alone.

For more information on dementia, go to www.alzheimer.ca/ab

Aisha Azzam, a powerful, resilient woman coming soon to the big screen at Nordlys Film and Arts Festival, has spent her life keeping Palestinian culture alive through food.

As a child, Aisha Azzam lived with her family at Baqa’a refugee camp, Jordan, in the wake of the 1967 war. It is there that she and her late husband started their family grain mill.

Aisha values her role in protecting her culture by milling the grains and herbs that make up the Palestinian cuisine she loves so much. Aisha traces the story of Palestinian displacement and rebuilding family and community in a refugee camp using her family’s grain mill to preserve culinary traditions and cultural identity, passing down traditions to her daughters.

The documentary Aisha’s Story will be screened during the Nordlys Film and Arts Festival on Family Day weekend in February. Her story captures the loss, beauty and resistance in a tender way that defines Palestinian lives.

Aisha said, “Food is what keeps us together as Palestinians.”

Elizabeth Vibert is the writer, director and producer of this film. She has been working on this project with Aisha Azzam and other Baqa’a community members since 2018.

Co-producer Salam Barakat Guenette grew up in a Palestinian family, expelled from Amman. She completed a Master’s degree in history in Canada and now works for the British Columbia government. Her mother taught in the camp when homes and classrooms were tents.

“Food is such a visceral part of our memories” said Salam, “It connects us no matter where we live and for many people, the guarding of that part of their history is centred on the matriarch.”

Palestinian women work hard to protect this part of their history when most cannot access the land of their ancestors. Food keeps Palestine alive inside of them.

“The film focuses on how Aisha built family and community in exile, and joyfully, lovingly and often humourously she shares the importance of her culture with the next generations,” said Elizabeth.
In a lamentable time in the history of the region and its people, this documentary will have the audience cheering again.

It’s a story that regardless of culture or class speaks to hope, resilience, humanity and how food connects Palestinians to their history and land. It’s about family and tradition, something to which everyone can relate.

For tickets to the Nordlys Arts and Film Festival, go to www.baileytheatre.com