Hello, Diamond Valley. We hope you and yours will have a wonderful holiday season, whatever you may be doing in our beautiful community.
If you have an animal lover on your Christmas list, a gift of donation to one of our animal rescue organizations would be heartfelt. We have our very own High Country SPCA, which is run out of the Diamond Valley Vet Clinic, Pound Rescue, which is run out of Okotoks, Heaven Can Wait in High River, the Cochrane and Area SPCA, Calgary SPCA, and AARCS (Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society). These organizations depend on volunteers and donations to keep them doing what they love to do, which is rescue animals, find homes and foster homes, hold spay and neuter clinics, educate, and help out animal owners in times of need. And I can’t stress enough, please have your pet spayed or neutered, especially your cat if they are outdoors. Our vet clinics can advise you when the next spay/neuter clinic is, and can get your cat done for a minimal cost, and advise about strays in your area. Long live the famous words of Bob Barker!
There are several organizations where you can choose to give your donation dollars to this year. Oilfields Food Bank accepts food and cash for their Christmas hampers. The Salvation Army accepts gift cards and new, unwrapped toys, and cash. Seniors Secret Service accepts cash or gift cards (403.257.8339). Donate cash and gift cards to Rowan House Emergency Shelter. Or drop off a new unwrapped toy at Western Financial in Turner Valley for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Toy Drive. Please have your donations in the first week of December so these organizations can get them together in time. The Town of Black Diamond is also collecting new toys and gift cards up to December 6 for the Tree of Giving, which will be distributed to the Sally Ann. You can also drop off your donation at the Griffiths Centre on Light Up.
If you need help this year, residents of Diamond Valley and Foothills County can apply for Christmas meal hampers through the Oilfields Food Bank, or for toys/gifts for children 18 and under, the Salvation Army Foothills Community Ministries may be able to help.
Remember someone special this year with Sheep River Health Trust’s Points of Light Program. This program has been going on for many years and has a big impact on the Trust with providing important equipment and services for our community. Buy a light for one of the trees alongside Oilfields Hospital or Okotoks Rec. Centre, and you can ask for a recognition card to send to your Point of Light, your someone special or their family. Make sure you take a drive during the season and check out the beautiful trees all lit up. For more info on the program, visit sheepriverhealthtrust.ca.
The kids have an early dismissal on December 18, and are not back to school until January 6. C. Ian McLaren will be holding their Christmas Concert on December 19 at 6:30, Turner Valley School will hold theirs on December 18 at 1:30 and 6:30, and Oilfields High School will be hosting their Winter Market and Band Concert on December 2. Oilfields High will also be presenting Senior Drama productions December 12-14 at 7pm, in the Drama Room.
Looking for something fun and unique to do this Christmas season? Check out Christmas at the Hive at the Chinook Honey Farm. Visit donkeys, taste mead or make beeswax candles, s’mores, honey taffy, mulled mead, or honey hot chocolate! Admission is free to this event which runs from 10-5 December 7-14. $2 per activity will go towards Foothills County Hospice. For more info, visit chinookhoney.com.
The Saskatoon Berry Farm is another nice place to spend a day. They will be hosting their Christmas Market on December 7-8, and again December 14-15. Parking and admission is free, and you will be supporting over 200 local vendors. The Farm is off the #2 Highway by DeWinton, for more info, call 1-800-463-2113.
Granary Road will be holding their Christmas Market from December 6-22. Free parking and free admission. The event features photos with alpacas, Santa’s workshop, tractor rides, and a petting zoo. Help support 40+ vendors, for more info, granaryroad.com.
If you haven’t got your raffle tickets for Oilfields Hospital Basket Raffle, you have until December 5 to do so. Every year they have fabulous baskets donated by local businesses, and you can buy tickets to win baskets of your choice. The baskets are on display in the front entrance of the Hospital. On December 5 at 3pm they will make the draws. Come check out their Bazaar and Bake Sale and Silent Auction as well on that day. All proceeds go towards programs and equipment for the Hospital, which we are so lucky to have in our community.
All of our local churches invite you to visit this holiday season. The Gospel Chapel in Black Diamond will be having their Live Nativity on December 6-7 at 7pm. There will be a petting zoo as well for the kids, and snacks and hot drinks to follow the Nativity. St. Michael’s in Black Diamond has a Christmas Eve Mass at 5 and 8pm, and a Christmas Day Mass at 10am. St. George’s in Turner valley has a Christmas Eve service at 4pm with hot apple cider and shortbread to follow. And the United Church in the Valley (933-4114), home to the Oilfields Food Bank, invites you to their Sunday service at 10am.
Turner Valley has a long standing tradition of hosting Family New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31. This fun, free, family friendly celebration will feature face painting, outdoor skating, hot dogs, hot chocolate, hay wagon rides, music, and fireworks. Volunteers are needed and appreciated! Sponsors are also appreciated, a good business opportunity awaits there. The event runs from 5-8 at the Flare and Derrick and the skating rink, for more info, call the Town of Turner Valley at 933-4944.
Snow angels are needed! Volunteers are needed to shovel walks for seniors and those needing a hand. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Snow Angel, please contact Suzan at 403.933-4348 for the address of someone in your area who could really use your help. And December 5 is Volunteer Day. Call Suzan at the Town for a list of volunteer opportunities, you could start right away or wait until the new year, as little or as much as you want.
There are many volunteer opportunities in our Foothills and right in our towns. There is nothing like volunteering for someone who really needs help to pick you up out of the doldrums. Volunteers are the mainstay of all our not-for-profit organizations, and our town’s events such as Light Up and Parade weekend. If we all were to volunteer just a little bit here and there, we could do so much more as a community.
If you have any events happening in January that you would like to see in the High Country News, please email me at elaine.w@telus.net. The deadline for this issue is December 15.
Have a safe and happy holiday,
Elaine Wansleeben
