Loonie hits $1.10 US mark

"Loonie hits $1.10 US. The Canadian dollar broke through the $1.10 US mark in overseas trading early Wednesday.
Analysts say the high-flying loonie, which hit the 110.02 cents US mark, shows no sign of landing anytime soon.
The currency set a modern-era record last Friday when it rose to 1.07 cents US, the highest it's been since 1950.
Analysts say the latest surge is credited to an impressive run-up in the price of crude oil, which is now flirting with the $98 US a barrel mark Wednesday.
Analysts also point to surging gold prices and solid returns for other commodities, particularly wheat.
The weak American dollar is further boosting the loonie."

3 killed in northern Alberta bus rollover

"Last Updated: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 10:07 AM MT
CBC News

Three people were killed and one critically injured when a Greyhound bus rolled in northwestern Alberta early Tuesday morning, trapping some passengers beneath it, RCMP officials said.
Those killed were a 72-year-old woman, a 20-year-old woman and her five-month-old son.

The RCMP said the bus, carrying 28 passengers and one driver, rolled off an icy highway into a ditch at 6:20 a.m. MT Tuesday near Bezanson and about 50 kilometres east of Grande Prairie.
RCMP Const. Scott Hagarty said some of the passengers were pinned underneath the bus. "



More... 3 killed in northern Alberta bus rollover:

Alberta teacher receives 1st residential schools cheque

"An Alberta teacher who spent 10 years in an aboriginal residential school became the first of an estimated 80,000 former students on Thursday to receive her settlement cheque from the federal government. In a ceremony in Edmonton, Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, presented the first cheque to Mary Moonias, who teaches on the Louis Bull Reserve in Hobbema, Alta.
About 80,000 former students can apply for so-called common experience payments — $10,000 for the first year they attended the once-mandatory schools and $3,000 for each subsequent year. Cheques are expected to average $28,000."
More... Alberta teacher receives 1st residential schools cheque:

Happy Canada Day

Serving in Iraq a lifelong mission for Peace River born soldier

By Kristy Lesh

R-G Editor

Tuesday June 12, 2007

Dallas Hanson in his yearbook photo.

For a Peace River-born man, getting deployed to a war-torn county is a realization of a lifelong dream.Dallas Hanson, a Private First Class in the United States Army, has been deployed in Iraq since December 2006.He hasn’t been involved in any direct combat but enjoys interacting with the locals.“It’s fun going out doing patrols, working with the Iraqi national police, and the Iraqi army, talking with the locals, finding out what’s going on in their neighborhoods or mulhullahs,” he said in an recent online interview.He has seen gratitude from the locals about their mission.“The people love us, almost everyone we’ve talked with, while doing patrols ... have thanked us for what we are doing, a couple rather articulately in English.”Hanson was born in Peace River hospital Nov. 16, 1984. He was raised in Dixonville, Grimshaw and it was at a young age while living in Grande Prairie that he first spoke of his desire to serve on the front line. At the time coalition forces had driven Iraqi forces out of Kuwait ending Desert Storm.“He came home from kindergarten upset the war was over and he didn’t get to help,” said mom Wendy Hoffman.She said Christmas and birthday gifts always included something green from the army surplus store.In 1992 the family moved to Lethbridge where Hoffman attended university and later moved to Hudson’s Hope. At age 14 Hanson decided he wanted to be soldier.
The family moved to Kamloops, B.C and he became a Rocky Mountain Ranger Army Cadet.There was one big move, to Arkansas and finally Farmington, New Mexico, before Hanson could realize his dream. With family ties to the United States, he decided to pursue his career in the army there.“He wanted to be in combat and not just peacekeeping,” said Hoffman.After bootcamp and several years confirming his eligibility for citizenship, Hanson was enlisted in April 2006.“I had been prepared for it all his life, but I was not prepared when it did happen,” said Hoffman. Her son was deployed in December 2006 to Iraq. His unit is the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment with 84 Airborne.Hoffman said she is grateful for the internet which helps her keep in touch with her youngest son.“No news is good news just doesn’t fly,” she said.Hanson’s unit was on scene March 9 when Iraqi Army Division reported a suicide bomber attack on a bus several blocks from the Mustansiriyah University at 12:20 a.m. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, responded and secured the scene, reporting seven Iraqi civilians killed and five wounded.Hanson said on a typical day they drive around in humvees, mounted patrols, stand by as a quick reaction force or security on clearing missions.He hasn’t encountered combat situations.“Our sector is fairly secure, although we do hear the occasional burst of gunfire, it is mostly from the Iraqi police or Iraqi army who use the shots to warn motorist to move out of the way,” he said in an online conversation.“On our off time we relax, go to the gym or the pool and work out,” he said.Hanson said it is hard being away from home.“Although we obviously have it easier than previous years with the 24/7 internet and phone access, it is still hard not being able to enjoy free time with friends and family.”Hanson says his thoughts on the war have changed since being deployed.“After having been here and seeing how the Iraqi people react to us, I feel that while yes we are still needed here, we did not really need to have the “surge” of troops as most of our units here do nothing more then police work and presence patrols.”Hoffman said she worries about her son like any other parent would.“I just carry on about my business, keep in touch as often as I can to make sure he’s okay.”The family still has relatives in Dixonville. Hanson’s older brother works in the oil patch near Fort St. John and his sister is in Ontario. View article

Canadian Idol - Sheldon Elter

I seem to be about a year behind catching up with these but here's another home town boy.

CTV.ca Sheldon Elter: "Sheldon Elter
Updated Wed. Jul. 12 2006 11:07 PM ET
Eliminated: July 12

Age: 27
Occupation: Actor/Construction Worker
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Audition City: Edmonton, AB
Place of Birth: Peace River, AB
Nickname: 'Bingo'
Musical Style: 'Sublime meets Elvis.'
Identifies With: Beck
Canadian Idol: 'My mother.'
Favourite Song: Imagine
Motto: 'What's expected tends to be realized.'
'My family couldn't be happier for me at how far I have made it in this competition. I think that they are a little worried that they might see a lot less of me in the future.'"

Sheldon Elter

Aaron James Sorenson

Challenge North 2006 - Speaker Bios: "Aaron James Sorensen
Aaron James Sorensen is an award winning feature film director from Dixonville Alberta. His first feature, Hank Williams First Nation, was the first Canadian film to ever open in competition at the American Film Institute’s AFIfest in Los Angeles. There it premiered with such films as Hotel Rwanda and Merchant of Venice. The same film has gone on to play several US festivals and recently won the “Best Music in a Feature Film” at the Nashville International Film Festival. The Village Voice in New York City recently cited Sorensen’s film as the Best Undistributed Film of 2004.
As President of Peace Country Films Mr. Sorensen is personally overseeing the Canadian theatrical release of Hank Williams First Nation, which has to-date grossed over $130,000 at the box office in Western Canada. The film was to open in Toronto on five screens in September.
As a musical composer and performer Aaron has traveled much of North America with a variety of ensembles. As an actor he worked with the Loose Moose Theatre Company while studying acting at the University of Calgary under visiting director Keith Johnston.
Sorensen is the former president of CompuTorque Canada Ltd., an oilfield service company, and a former elected municipal councillor. He began his career out of university as a small town school teacher and newspaper reporter in 1989.
Sorensen is currently in development as writer/director and co-producer on a script called Meet Pamela with Paramount Pictures."

Hank Williams First Nation - Dixonville, Alberta

In 2004 first time filmmaker Aaron James Sorensen privately raised enough money to make a feature film from a script he had written, portraying an endearing portrait of life in a remote northern Alberta Cree community, and the colourful characters who call it home. A good-hearted movie about a good-hearted people – sprinkled with
snowmobiles, old-dogs, and good country music.
The film, “Hank Williams First Nation,” became a critically acclaimed audience favourite wherever it played, at festivals throughout
North America and in cities and communities across Canada, becoming the third top grossing English language film of 2005. And now the feature film has done something unheard of in Canada. Unlike “Trailer Park Boys,” “Kids in the Hall” and “Strange Brew,” which were all feature films based on television series, “Hank
William’s First Nation” is the first television series to be based on a Canadian Englishlanguage feature film.


Get the whole story in PDF

or the Press Kit for the Movie

n.b. Super big congratulations Aaron. It seems to have taken awhile for local news from Dixonville Alberta to trickle down to Farmington New Mexico but it got here. I can't wait to find a DVD copy of the movie.