The Camrose Legion Branch No. 57 will once again be recognizing National Legion Week from September 21 to 27. This is a time designed to inform the visitors about the good work the local Legion Branch does in the community. The public is welcome to check out the activities at the branch and see what types of volunteer and membership opportunities are available.

Currently, there are over 300 members in Camrose. One thing many people are not aware of is that anyone can become a Legion member, not just veterans or family members of veterans.

One popular day at the Legion is Wednesdays when the lunch special is fresh homemade soup with a sandwich. It’s very affordable, costing members only $8 and non-members $10. Check out Thursday bingos and Friday meat draws.

To kick off the festivities this year, there will be a Battle of Britain Commemoration on September 21 at 1:30 p.m. followed by Honours and Awards at 2 p.m., recognizing members for their various years of service. The day will wind up with a free barbecue including hot dogs, hamburgers and pop. The bar will be open for attendees to purchase additional beverages.

The activities on September 21 invite the community to attend to see all the Legion has to offer and how to get involved. As a non-profit, they are focused on giving back to the community.

The Great Fuss will be hitting the Bailey Theatre stage October 3 at 8 p.m. This spirited, upbeat Canadian band hails from Saskatoon and are now breaking into Alberta.

According to Lindsay Breidenbach, band manager, “If Spoon and The Kinks had a baby, parented by the Beatles and best friends with Andy Warhol, that’s the vibe you can expect from the Great Fuss.  They definitely have a ’60s-’70s sound.”

Pete Oldridge lead singer, is considered a beautiful songwriter, writing material that will make you want to get out of your seat and dance. They also have more powerful, slower tempo songs for a full range show. Their current single, “Rattabaga” has seen a lot of radio play, especially in Saskatchewan, but also in Alberta.

Lindsay says, “Their new single is almost ready to come out and I’m hoping they’ll tease that one with possibly a new album in the spring.”

The band’s performance will include a few covers, but Lindsay added, “Their original songs are pretty magic. The audience will get caught up in the music and it will hit you in the feels, leaving you know you just heard something special.”

This performance will have something for every music lover.

Recently the band played Ravenwood in Sherwood Park over the summer. Feedback from that festival had audience members left wondering why they weren’t the headliners. They are lined up for a big performance in British Columbia next year that will be revealed closer to the date.

If you’re looking for a show that is engaging, dynamic and upbeat, you won’t be disappointed with The Great Fuss. This band performs with enthusiasm and it’s evident that as a band, they truly enjoy performing together.

Camrose Helps and United Way Central Alberta are hosting a poverty simulation at the Messiah Lutheran Church from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on October 8. This is the first time a poverty simulation has ever been held in Camrose.

“Poverty Simulations are meant to challenge perceptions of poverty and strengthen understanding and empathy to the realities of those living within the poverty spectrum. Participants will experience a full range of challenges those living in poverty face on a daily basis. The poverty simulation experience is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month,” shared Kendra Hansen, health promotion facilitator with Primary Care Alberta.

Camrose Helps is a registered charity, comprised of local organizations and social service groups who work together to reduce poverty in the community.
“In the simulation, up to 88 participants assume the roles of up to 26 different families facing poverty. Some families are newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the breadwinner, some are homeless, and others are recipients of Temporary Assistance, either with or without additional earned income. Still others are senior citizens receiving Disability or Retirement or grandparents raising their grandchildren,” explained Kendra.

“The task of the families is to provide for basic necessities and shelter during the course of four 15-minute ‘weeks’. Participants will navigate the month by engaging with tables around the room representing community resources and services for families. These services include a bank, employer, utility company, pawn broker, grocery store, social service agency, faith-based agency, payday and title loan facility, mortgage company, school, community health centre, and child care centre,” she continued.

“The experience includes an introduction and briefing, the actual simulation exercise, and a debriefing period in which participants and volunteer staffers share their feelings and experiences and talk about what they have learned about the lives of people in poverty,” said Kendra.

According to recent reports by Camrose Helps, Camrose faces mounting economic strain as housing costs, food prices and service gaps continue to rise. A 2023 housing and service needs survey found high levels of housing insecurity across the City. More than half of those affected are over 40, three-quarters of Indigenous respondents reported insecurity and nearly all who had spent time in care said the same.

About 22 per cent of people without stable housing lack adequate heat and 16 per cent do not have safe drinking water. Access to help is often difficult. One-third of respondents drive to services outside the City, but many rely on friends, public transit or agency-arranged rides, and nearly one in five hitchhike, leaving those unable to travel at greater risk of ongoing instability.

Community feedback gathered for the Camrose Helps Social Master Plan highlights rising food prices, limited transportation, long waits for medical care, scarce childcare and few job opportunities for people with disabilities or mental-health challenges. Affordable larger homes and pet-friendly rentals are also in short supply, with high damage deposits adding another hurdle. The findings paint a picture of a community where many residents face financial pressure and uneven access to basic needs.

For more information or to register for the Poverty Simulation, email info@camrosehelps.ca. Registration in advance is necessary as spots are limited.

Changing Ways, a program of Camrose and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), offers a program to support men in the Camrose area.

The free of cost 14-week Choices for Men program begins with an intake process followed by group sessions where participants receive education and support as adults who have experienced the impacts of mental, emotional, physical or financial abuse. The aim is to intervene early in intimate partner violence and promote healing. Topics include anger management, understanding abuse, trauma and resilience, healthy communication and setting boundaries. The next session is expected to start this winter.

“Choices for Men is all about healthy and functional relationships. We call it psycho-educational, there is learning and it is all evidence-based. The basis of the program is how to improve intimate partner relationships specifically, but also with other family members and children,” said Abby Ness, program coordinator.

“Our facilitators gear the content toward the demographic of each group. There are several topics on emotional regulation. We have one called keeping cool and keeping calm, we do an anger management week and topics on healthy relationships are a big one. We go over how to de-escalate a situation when there are arguments and fights. We cover healthy communication and recently Nick, our program coordinator, has decided to introduce some masculinity content, which goes over what being a man might look like to you and what it might look like to someone else,” she explained.

“We work with clients while they wait for the next session to begin, so if they do their intake and are waiting for the next program session, they are still supported during that time,” Ness added.

In addition to the 14-week program, the Choices for Men team is starting a new initiative. Program coordinator Nick Breugum will host a men’s support group called Solid Ground. Open to anyone over 18, the group offers pizza, refreshments and guided activities. Starting September 17, they will meet every third Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. at 4821-51 Street. No RSVP or registration is required; individuals seeking support or a safe space to socialize can simply drop in.

“There are going to be three of us facilitators there, but it won’t be us doing a presentation on a topic, we would just be guiding the conversations and leading the discussion,” shared Breugum.

“The aim is to destigmatize all the societal norms around men’s mental health, and creating a space where they can come and talk and feel that you can communicate openly. I feel like there is a lot of pressure on men nowadays to be a certain way especially with the social media influences, you go online you see content like ‘if you’re sad you should just go work out and be a man.’ All the toxic messaging that we see on the internet–these resources online feed on your insecurities but they never get to the real issue. A lot of the men my age buy into that ‘alpha male’ mentality which is not healthy,” shared Breugum.

Changing Ways provides programs to help create a respectful, violence-free community where everyone feels safe. Choices for Men addresses challenges faced by men; however, Changing Ways has several programs for women, children and youth, including: The Growth Circle for women, an eight-week Anger Management course for all adults; an intimate partner violence group for those dealing with abusive behaviours; and several programs for children and youth focused on emotional regulation and coping skills.
For more information, email info@changing-ways.ca or visit www.changing-ways.ca.

Camrose Fire Chief Eric Graham was a guest speaker at the Camrose Chamber of Commerce general meeting on September 3, where he updated members and guests on the fire department’s ongoing projects, recruitment efforts and equipment needs.

The Fire Training Grounds project, located off Township Road 464 near the city lagoons, is moving forward. The contractor has completed a retention pond with a storage capacity of about 24,000 gallons, which will serve as the primary water source during live fire training. Border Paving has also finished site grading and compacted the training grounds with asphalt millings to handle the weight of fire apparatus.

10 shipping containers will form the four-storey training facility. Training props, including stairs, railings and decking, are being prepared for installation. Work on screw piles and crane operations for container placement is expected to begin soon.

The department has received more than $58,000 in donations, with additional contributions from local businesses.

“I can’t stress the importance of training in the fire department and in the fire service in general, I truly believe that the fire training is the cornerstone of a good fire department. If you provide good training, you’ll always get good firefighters and you’ll keep firefighters coming back,” said Chief Graham.

The new facility will feature rooms for live fire training, removable partitions for different layouts, anchor points for rescue tactics, and doors and windows for forcible entry and ventilation practice. It will be a Class A live fire burn site, using hay and wood fuel packages.

In addition to the news about the training facility, Chief Graham shared updates on recruitment and retention, which remains an ongoing challenge.
“In 2024, we were pleased to have seven of eight candidates over a firefighter recruit program pass their probationary period and promote two active firefighters,” Graham said.

“This year, we have introduced three new recruits to the program and hope to gain several more in the second recruitment for the year, which is currently in progress. Recruitment and retention of paid and on-call firefighters presents many challenges to the fire department as it requires a high level of commitment.”

He added that recruitment is always open.

“I would like to add that we do recruit year-round. So if anybody is interested in looking for their second calling, we don’t turn people away at anytime of the year, we just like to put them through an intake, whether it’s either the spring or the fall.”

The department currently has 30 paid on-call firefighters, three probationary members, three full-time staff and a part-time administrative assistant. A new fire and life safety educator is being hired to restore full operations.

“Looking ahead in the next two years, I would like to see our paid on-call membership reach or exceed 40 members and we will continue to train them so that they can operate safely and effectively,” Graham said.

“The job of firefighting is difficult and dangerous and without the hard work of these members, I would not be here speaking to you today. Working alongside these amazing individuals, I am constantly reminded that this community would not have a fire department without the men and women who are willing to be able to step up and serve, with next to no pay and even less sleep at times.”

Graham also updated the Chamber on the department’s aging fleet. The department has ordered a 101 foot articulating aerial platform truck to replace its 2003 model. Delivery is now expected in late 2026.

“Last year, we placed an order to replace our aging aerial fire truck that was built in 2003. The new truck, which is a 101 foot articulating aerial platform type fire truck, is expected to be delivered in late 2026 or early 2027. We are probably looking at getting the aerial delivered to us by late 2026 now, so it is a little bit closer than expected,” he shared.

Graham told Chamber members, the fire department’s work depends on training, equipment and above all, the dedication of local firefighters who continue to answer the call to serve their community.

Tyson Wright is a well-known chef in Camrose. He has been hand selected to participate in the regional qualifier in Edmonton on October 2, for the Canadian Culinary Championship as part of the Great Canadian Kitchen Party. He will be one of eight contestants in this year’s competition, and the first from a rural community in Alberta. The regional culinary competitions will be happening in ten cities across Canada, celebrating emerging and established talent.

This competition is a celebration of Canadian culture, savoury dishes, some of the best wines, craft beer, spirits, and mocktails this country has to offer. Along the way, funds are raised for national and regional charities ensuring Canadian youth have access to healthy food, music and sports opportunities.

Once the ten finalists have been selected to participate in Ottawa in January 2026, they will be competing for the country’s premier national culinary competition and crowned the winner of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.

Chef Tyson has decided on his dish for the competition. He has selected bison cheeks, locally sourced from Sych Homestead from Hay Lakes, with vegetables from Grey Arrow Farm. His passion is to represent what the prairies have to offer as well as support local. He’ll be pairing his dish with an Okanagan wine, 2022 Kay’s Syrah, to perfectly enhance his plated dish. He will have a team to support him serve between 450 to 500 people in an hour and a half.

In reference to the regional competition, Chef Tyson said, “Just being invited in general is an honour, and an honour to represent the prairies as a whole. I hope I can hold my own and open the door for other chefs to compete from the prairies.”

To Chef Tyson, it’s bringing fresh ingredients to each dish that’s important to him–eating what’s in season. For this competition, he wants to bring the judges to the prairie dinner table, taking a traditional Sunday family dinner to the next level with all the aromas and comfort of a homemade meal.

He is so passionate about what he does and where he comes from. Even though he has travelled all over Canada to learn different culinary skills, he always brings what he’s learned back home.

He went on to add, “I’m a prairie boy, I grew up in Camrose. You have to squeeze that prairie lemon as much as you can,” when talking about his love for living in this community and on the prairies.