At our last meeting, we recognized members who achieved Every Rotarian Every Year (top photo), Paul Harris Fellow +7 (middle photo) and PolioPlus Society (bottom) recognition. Congratulations to all! Your generosity and continued support of the Rotary Foundation help strengthen communities, advance humanitarian service and move us closer to a polio-free world. Thank you for putting Service Above Self in action!

What a glorious day October 4^th was for our annual tree planting at Rotary Park.  With a total of 19 volunteers, comprised of Rotarians and family members, the group planted 230 trees and bushes in record time.  Thank you to everyone who came out to help us continue this annual tradition.  Our club has been involved with this Naturalization Planting program since 2014 and it was great to see so many committed to see it continue.

We invite you to join us for our upcoming District 5370 Townhall! This monthly session is designed to inspire, educate, and celebrate the incredible work being done across our district.

• When: October 14th, 2026
• Time: 5:30PM (MTN).
• Registration:  CLICK HERE

What's on the Agenda?

• Inspire: Economic & Community Development Month, the Rotary Employment Partnership Fundraiser ($50K matching grant!), and details on the upcoming District Awards (Nov 6) and Fall Assembly (Nov 7).

• Foundation: Progress on our $2.027M in 2027 Challenge, PolioPlus initiatives, and open District Foundation Chair roles.

• Educate: Innovative membership strategies, featuring Wendy Plandowski on how to host casual "Explore Rotary" gatherings.

• Celebrate: Edmonton Mayfield's partnership with Lead with Seeds in Honduras

Do you want to showcase your club project? Contact  Andre Charrois, DGE, at townhall@rotary5370.org.

Summer break is over and school is back in session - which means that Teacher of the Month recognition returns! Congratulations to Jenelle Sanelle of Leo Nickerson Elementary School, our Teacher of the Month for September. Well done Jenelle!

Thank you to everyon who joined us to celebrate the International Day of Peace and St. Albert's recognition as a City of Peace. It was wonderful to see our community come together to celebrate peace, belonging and inclusion. Thank you for being part of this special day!

Congratulations to President Cathy Heron, who was honoured by the Alberta Municipalities Association with lifetime membership in recognition of her 15 years of service to communities across Alberta. Well done Cathy, BZ!!

Our final parking lot sale for the year is a go for Saturday October 17, 2026. Click THIS HYPERLINK to sign up for a shift. Parking lot sales have been a fantastic fundraiser for the club and very popular in the community.

Congratulations to Darija Slokar, our newest Paul Harris Society member.  Well done Darija, BZ!!

The Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society Red Shoe Gala is back!! 

When:  Saturday October 17, 5:30 - 11:00 pm

Where: Double Tree by Hilton West Edmonton

Tickets are $165/seat or a table of 10 for $1300. Please contact John Carle if you are interested in attending.

Congratulations to the following member who received their Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) badge by Foundation Chair Darija Slokar (L-R): Wendy McDonald, Ravi Chibbar, Darrell Haight, Charlene Zoltenko, Carolyn Ferguson, Ed Heitzman, Idy Agbonison and Natalie Semchyshak-Korpan. Well done y'all!

Congratulations to Richard Ferguson who is now a member of the PolioPlus Society, established to support the global eradication of polio. Members make a solemn commitment to donate a minimun of $100 US annually to the PolioPlus Fund. Well done Richard, BZ!!

Please register at Eventbrite or use the QR code above…thank you!!

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of our Sarge is asked to contact President Cathy with any information. Thanks!

No jumbo sized cheque to hand out this week but the bank will take it! President Cathy presented a cheque for $12,461 - the proceeds from our last two parking lot sales. Accepting it is Suzan Krecsy, Executive Director of the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village.

Maria Luisa is in da house!! She arrived in Canada a week ago and attended her first meeting on Friday. Welcome aboard Maria Luisa!!

On Friday we welcomed our newest Rotarian Brad Oliver, pictured with his spouse Celicia, Membership Director John Carle and President Cathy Heron. Brad is a proud member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is looking forward to serving our community when not in uniform. Welcome aboard Brad!

Our next Parking Lot Sale will be this Saturday, August 22 from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Click HERE to sign up for a shift!

Congratulations to the winners of our 50/50 and raffle which were sold at Ribfest. Here are the prize winners:

50/50 Draw -  Quinn Schive of Edmonton. Prize won - $9285.

Raffle winners:

1st Prize - $1500 gift certificate, supplied by Backyard Grills:  John Carle of St. Albert.

2nd Prize - $500 gift certificate, supplied by Ribeye Butcher Shop: Don Heitzman of St. Albert.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who participated for your support, especially the Rotary Club of Nisku-Leduc!!

Hey folks, there's a great new initiative by District 5370 to raise $2,027,000 by 2027. I could explain it but I'll let our good friend MOOSE tell the story.

St. Albert Rotary Ribfest 2026 is in the books! This year's event was hands down our best ever. Thanks so much to everyone who came out.

Watch this space for raffle and 50/50 draw winners which will be announced shortly!!

A message from President Cathy:

Good morning Rotarians! This year, the board and I would very much like to focus on membership experience. I am asking members for feedback and want to respond to it in a meaningful way. Hopefully, this shows our openness to change and empowering the club to help create the ideal club experience. Please follow this hyperlink to the survey, which will help us gather an idea of where we are currently and give us some areas to discuss at the upcoming Club Assembly on August 6th.

The survey should take about 5-10 minutes and is completely anonymous unless you choose to identify yourself in an answer. This is your opportunity to be a part of the future of the club. I am respectfully asking that you take the time. It is important. 

The following committees will be meeting in this week:

Membership - Tuesday, August 4 at 7:00 pm, location TBC.

Ribfest - Tuesday, August 6 at 6:00 pm via Zoom.

Board Meeting - Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30 pm at 310 Circle Dr.

Friday marked Lily's last meeting with our club. With her family in-house, she described their visit to Vancouver, Victoria  and the Rocky Mountains before returning to St. Albert. Auf wiedersehen and godspeed Lily, safe travels back to Germany and thanks for being a fantastic part of our club for the past year!

Hey folks, we're currently trying to livestream our Friday meetings. To do so, we need to hit 50 subscribers on the club's YouTube channel and we're a bit short. So do the club a solid: Click here to access the channel and then smash that Subscribe button! Tell your friends and family. Thanks in advance!

Ribfest is less than three weeks away!! It will be held from 7-9 August at Century Casino. A call for volunteers will be coming out shortly, as we need people to help out with raffle and 50/50 sales, Beer garden servers and ticket sales (Proserve required), door monitors and general maintenance. Ribfest is our second biggest fundraiser of the year, club participation is essential to its success. 

Members of our Peace Action Group recently visited iHuman Youth Society to learn how they support vulnerable youth through creativity, connection, and community. The group gained valuable insight into how iHuman provides a safe, inclusive space where young people can express themselves, build life skills, develop meaningful relationships, and access the support they need to thrive. 

Learning from organizations like iHuman reminds us that lasting peace is built through belonging, opportunity, and service to others. Thank you to members who brought donations to take to iHuman.  You will be able to learn about iHuman on August 21st, when they present to our Club.

It was another great day at 310 Circle Drive!! Final sales numbers are still being tallied, but it looks like the total is approaching $10,000 for both the St. Albert Food Bank and other club-sponsored community service projects. Well done to Doug, Laz and all the volunteers who showed up to help make the day such a success - BZ!!

On July 1 Edmonton was designated as an International City of Peace and its new Peace Pole was unveiled. Thanks to all from our club who attended.

Our club had a great turnout at Fort Edmonton Park for Marty Helman's Impact Tour! In addition to RI Director Marty Helman, there was a great lineup of speakers including PDG Brent Collingwood, current DG Jeanette Bancarz and our very own DG-Elect Andre Charrois (woot woot!).

At Changeover Night we bade farewell to outgoing President Ed Hunt and welcomed Cathy Heron as our new club president. Well done Ed, and congratulations Cathy!!

Peacebuilding begins with small actions and grows when people come together with purpose, collaboration, commitment, and creativity. This update highlights how the Peace Action Group has brought that spirit to life through activities that promote peace, inclusion, understanding, and positive change across our community.  The Group's fundraising efforts resulted in $1,000 contribution to Rotary's Foundation - Peace and Conflict Resolution Priority Area and the balance will remain with our Club for future peacebuilding initiatives.  Thank you to all who supported fundraising.

There was a great turnout for Lily's Farewell Party at Lion's Park. Many thanks to Khorusha and the Youth Services team for putting on a great event!

In conjunction with this event there is also a 50/50 raffle - you can get your tickets at this hyperlink.

For anyone who cares, Zoom is back for morning meetings. There will be a charge however - $10. Payment is to be sent to: etransfer@stalbertrotaryclub.ca 

To access the Zoom link for this meeting click HERE.

President-elect Cathy Heron and John Carle are attending the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei - what an adventure!!

Come join Rotary International Director Marty Helman on July 1, 2026 as Edmonton is designated as an International City of Peace. The event is held at Edmonton City Hall from 11:00 - 12:00 pm, click this hyperlink for more information and to register for limited seating!

Fort Edmonton Park (7000-143 St NW - access from Whitemud Drive, July 1, 2:00 - 8:00 pm

General Admission

Many thanks to our longtime Outbound and Inbound Youth Exchange Coordinators, Jeri Featherley and Charlene Zoltenko. Thanks so much ladies!!

Hey folks, we are looking for cooks to help prepare meals at Jessie's House on Thursday, July 2 and Thursday, August 6. Please contact Doug Campbell at campdoug3225@gmail.com if you can assist. Thanks!!

Just a quick reminder to save your spot for our June District 5370 Townhall held on June 10, 2026 at 5:30 pm MDT.

This District meeting aims to strengthen connections among clubs by providing a platform for information sharing, education, and celebration. Attendees will receive updates on Rotary International and District news, gain insights into available programs and initiatives, and celebrate success stories from clubs within the District.

Here is the link for this event. By registering you are able to watch the recording of the event after it  occurs.

Our Club's Peace Action Group is preparing an application for St. Albert to be recognized as an International City of Peace. This infographic explains what that means, why it matters, and how members can help build momentum across our community.  More information will be shared after June's Board meeting.

Lily's Going Away Barbecue. Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 5:00 pm at Lions Park. More to follow!!

It was touch and go for a moment there with inclement weather wreaking havoc with flag deliveries, but the first flag weekend of 2026 is in the books! Exchange student Lily Hammer helped out in completing the first route of the season - well done Lily!!

Many thanks to Jorge Vargas from the St. Albert Latin Cultural Association (SALCA), our guest speaker on May 29, 2026. SALCA promotes Latin culture in St. Albert and the surrounding communities and will hold its annual Latin Festival in Lion's Park on August 15, 2026.

Hey folks, registration is still open for Disc Golf, details are as follows:

When: Thursday May 21, 6:00 pm

Where: Kingswood Park (Sir Winston Churchill Ave and Kingswood Dr)

Cost: FREE!!!

If you have never tried disc golf before, it's a blast! It's like golf without the heavy bag of clubs that needs a cart to haul them or overpriced beer at the end. Please register in advance so that sufficient equipment is available. Bring your own protein to barbecue and your favourite beverage, Kingswood Park is alcohol-friendly! Additional details are in Cathy's email of 7 May - see you there!!

Please click this hyperlink to register!

St. Albert Rotary was well represented at the District 5370 Conference, held from 15-17 May in Whitehorse. Seven Rotarians attended (top photo). Additionally, our club's Peace t-shirts were a hit - the second photo shows the new Peace Pole which will be installed in the Whitehorse Rotary Peace Park.

Wow! It's already May and time for our first St. Albert Rotary Flag weekend. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we're still looking for a few drivers to help with deliveries. There is a new app and new routes that have been optimized (approximately 30 flags/route), or about an hour of your time to deliver.  You can refer to John's email (Flags! Flags! Flags!!!!) or click on this hyperlink to sign up for a route.

On Friday we recognized our latest Paul Harris Fellow recipients. Congratulations to Kevin Malinowski (PHF +1), Ravi Chibbar (PHF+4) and Craig Malin (PHF+7). Congratulations gents!!

Another great Club Services event! This past Friday 25 Rotarians and guests met up and dined at four local mystery restaurants to share good food and great camaraderie. Thanks to Cathy for putting this together!

Well the weather was not great but our volunteers had fun assisting the St. Albert Food Bank with its Spring Drive. Thanks to Donne, Melissa, Sandra, Wes, Craig and Leo for stepping up!

WHAT ARE PROGRAMS OF SCALE?

The Programs of Scale process awards funding to successful member-led programs so they can implement larger, higher-impact initiatives in our areas
of focus.

Each year, The Rotary Foundation grants one Programs of Scale award of US$2 million to a club- or district-sponsored program that has proven its effectiveness and is ready to expand.

The programs need to use sustainable, evidence-based methods and have outcomes that can be measured. This allows us to track our progress and share what we learned in order to increase our impact — one of our Action Plan priorities.. 

Learn more about the Programs of Scale Process. 

The St Albert Rotary Music Festival will wrap up other successful season with Encore! which will be held this Tuesday at the Arden Theatre. The organizers are still looking for a few volunteers for the rehearsal and evening performance.

Click here to access Sign-up Genie if you can help out. Thanks in advance from the Music Festival crew!

On Friday April 17, Michael Massey was recognized as our newest Paul Harris Fellow Community award recipient. Michael has had a major impact on the cultural component of St. Albert. As a fixture of the classical music for 50 years, he has inspired thousands of young musicians through his musical endeavours including as an honourary patron of the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival.

Michael's passion for music has influenced many of his students who have seen great succes at the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival and gone on to professional careers as teachers and performers themselves.

Hey folks if you missed out the first time, you can still order some Club swag - a long sleeve Stormtech shirt, available at $78 per copy which must be pre-paid to Sandra prior to ordering (you can send an e-transfer to sfenton079@gmail.com or pay her cash in person on Friday.

The shirt comes in ladies and men's sizes and will have the Club logo embroidered on the left chest.

Please email Sandra with your order CLEARLY indicating the model (MEN's or WOMEN'S) and the SIZE (refer to the size charts below). All orders and payments are due by noon on Sunday, April 19.

At our next morning meeting this Friday our the club will consider the reallocation of funding. The International Services committee provided funds of $10,000 for the St. Albert Fights Hunger campaign. As a result of the fundraising efforts for this event we ended up with a small surplus above what was originallyt committed. These excess funds have been earmarked to help support the other project in playgrounds that go hand in hand with the food packaging as the food typically goes to shcool where the playgrounds have been built.

Motion to be introduced: As a result of the funds raised for the St. Albert Fight Hunger project, it is moved that $3,000 be sent to Hope Mission in support of a playground project in Belize or similar effort prior to the end of this Rotary year (2025/26).

Congratulations to our newest Polio Plus member, Doug Campbell. This commitment means that Doug is pledging ongoing annual support to help end polio worldwide - bringing us one step closer to a future where no child suffers from this preventable disease. 

The Polio Plus Society recognizes dedicated Rotarians who go above and beyond in supporting Rotary's mission to eradicated polio once and for all.

On 21 March 2026 the Rotary Club of St. Albert celebrated its 36th anniversary. Forty members and guests gathered at Century Casino for an evening of fellowship and friendship. Pictured above with President Ed Hunt is Carolyn Ferguson (guest speaker) and Immediate Past District Governor Brian Edwards.

Join Zone 28 and 32 for an engaging session showcasing the work of Rotary and a message of peace. This online session (Zoom) will be held on Wednesday May 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm. You can register now at this link.

Our Peace Action Group had the joy of spending time with four Grade 2 classes at Leo Nickerson Elementary School, where we read All Are Welcome, explored what kindness, inclusion, and understanding truly mean, and created Peace Cards with special messages for their loved ones.

Teaching young people about kindness, inclusion, respect and understanding is one of the most meaningful ways we build peace and help shape stronger, more compassionate communities.

Thank you to our Peace Action Group members, Lynne, Ron, and former exchange student Jessica for joining us and helping make this experience so meaningful.

Our annual Community Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) Awards evening was a great success!! Congratulations to Al Henry, Sherry Bennett, JoAnn Blatchford and John Farlinger (pictured above, left to right). Many thanks to Foundation Chair Sandra Fenton and her team for hosting another first class event.

On Friday the club honoured Past President (2023-24) Doug Webster on his last day at the St. Albert Food Bank. The now-retired Mr. Webster is looking forward to a well earned retirement. Happy trails Doug!!

The 2026 rendition of the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival is coming up starting Marcy 23 to April 18.  Currently the board has organized a great festival.  Registrations are complete and the kids are practicing hard to impress the adjudicators.

Now the Rotary club has some work to do.  One is support the scholarships we give out.  The board has gone out to community members to help sponsor these awards and it is tradition that members of the Rotary club sponsor some awards as well.  There is a link below that you can access and sign up for sponsoring awards.  Please do so at your earliest convenience.  The second ask is that we will need 100 volunteers to make the festival run smoothly.  Start thinking about your availability over those three weeks and a link for signing up for positions will come out shortly.

Click this hyperlink to access the list of available scholarships. Thanks in advance for your ongoing support!

Sergeant at Arms Jim is asking for your help in tracking down his #1 fugitive, whose indiscretions include showing up late for the Paul Harris Community Awards evening and ditching the Friday meeting early! Anyone knowing of Daniela's whereabouts is asking to contact Jim forthwith. Thanks.

Veterans' House Canada is a federally incorporated charity whose aim is support homeless veterans. The group is conducting its first annual Coldest Night of the Year walk as a fundraiser, to be held Saturday February 28 in the Athlone neighbourhood of north Edmonton and is looking for volunteers to assist. The event starts at 4:00 pm at the Athlone Community hall, 13010 - 129 St NW in Edmonton. Alternately, feel free to donate to the cause. Additional information is available at this hyperlink.

St. Albert Fights Hunger is back again in 2026. The event returns on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at the Salvation Army gymnasium (165 Liberton Drive). Volunteers are required for setup on Friday March 6 at noon at the Salvation Army - please reach out to Andre Charrois if you can assist. Thanks!!

February 23 marks Rotary’s anniversary and a day to highlight Rotary’s commitment to peace and understanding.

To celebrate, the following will take place:

• February 23 - City Hall illuminated in blue and white to recognite Rotary Peace and Understanding Day
• February 25 - Community Paul Harris Event with Mayor Olivieri presenting a proclamation recognizing Rotary Peace and Understanding Week
• February 27 - Rotary Peace Literacy Program presented to four Grade 2 students by the Peace Action Group

These events reflect Rotary’s and our Club’s dedication to service, inclusion, community support and peacebuilding. 

Happy anniversary, Rotary! 

The Rotary Club of St. Albert was proud to celebrate the grand opening of the new AdaptAbilities location in St. Albert. This expansion marks an important milestone in increasing inclusive supports for individuals with disabilities and their families in our community and area. 

Wes Broadhead was inducted into the Rotary Club of St. Albert on February 13, 2026. He is shown here with his sponsor Cathy Heron, Idy Agbonison (Membership) and President Ed Hunt. Welcome to the club Wes!!

Dear Rotarians of District 5370,

As we discussed during our recent District Town Hall, our hearts remain with the community of Tumbler Ridge. In true Rotary fashion, many of you have asked how we can move beyond words and into action to support our neighbors during this incredibly difficult time.

We have been in close contact with the District of Tumbler Ridge to ensure our efforts are directed where they are needed most. They have suggested two primary avenues for support; please find a summary of each below, with more detailed information provided in the attachments.

• Tumbler Ridge Community Resilience Fund Established by the Northeast BC Community Foundation, this fund is dedicated to the long-term healing of the community. It focuses on providing the sustained resources necessary to navigate the aftermath of the tragedy in the months and years to come.

• Lakeview Credit Union (PAC Fund) In partnership with the Tumbler Ridge Parent Advisory Council, this fund is designed for immediate aid. It focuses on directly assisting those families and individuals most acutely affected by the recent events.

Both options offer a meaningful way for our clubs and individual members to show Tumbler Ridge they are not alone. Whether providing immediate relief or supporting long-term recovery, your generosity will make a tangible difference.

Thank you for your continued compassion and for embodying the spirit of Rotary when it is needed most.

Yours in Rotary,

Rotarians, spouses and Rotaractors from Rotary Clubs of St. Albert and Edmonton Northeast were in Cofradia, Mexico last week volunteering with Project Amigo. The theme of this service week was Culture and Literacy. Our volunteers spent time with young Mexican students helping them read and make some crafts while also learning about their culture. They also visited the University of Colima, saw traditional mask makers in Suchitlan and visited the school near a migrant camp near Queseria. Overall, a great and inspirational week. Special thanks to our cruise directors Darel and Kelly Baker for putting this all together!

Know any prospective new member who is interested in learning more about Rotary and District 5370? Invite them to the District Fireside Chat hosted by DG Ramesh Ferris on February 4, 2026.

REGISTER HERE.

Our friends at Adaptabilities opened their doors to the new St. Albert Respite Centre in December 2025. They are planning to conduct their Grand Opening on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Adaptabilities was designated as the St. Albert Rotary Club's Signature Project, and received funding which enabled it to expand outside of Edmonton and offer programs will include Community Connect and Out-of-School Care / High School Transition. 

Additional information can be found at the Adaptabilities website.

FINAL UPDATE:

Do not park at Careadon Village -you will be towed if you do. Parking is available at Canadian Tire. Please park on the NORTH side of the lot, facing Bellerose Dr (shown roughly in the BLUE oval below). Please do not park in the eastern side of the lot (shown in RED), or in stalls with electrical outlets - this is for employee parking. No parking signs will be installed shortly, offending vehicles will be ticked and towed.

You have been warned.

The Annual End Polio Now Hockey Game was a great success, with over a dozen Rotarians and family members participating As an added bonus, the Edmonton Oil Kings notched a thrilling 5-4 victory against the Tri-City Americans, scoring the winning goal with under 10 seconds left in the game! Congratulations to everyone who volunteered - well done!!

The Sturgeon Community Hospital Foundation is extending to you an invitation to an evening of pure entertainment and enchantment at its Friend Raiser Gala on January 31, 2026 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.   It is going to be another premier event featuring a night of fun, good food, music and a live auction in support of the Foundation's work to enhance care at our local hospital.

Our long has a long history of supporting this event. Some seats are still available, the cost is $400 each. You can purchase your gala tickets here.  

Our best social function of the year was once again a smashing success! Over 70 hungry Rotarians and guests enjoyed steak and lobster at Chez Heitzman, and our exchange student raised over $1000 for Kids for Cancer. Special thanks to Club Services Chair Kevin Malinowski and his team for making this event such a fun evening.

Congratulations to Darel Baker who received his Paul Harris Fellow + 6 (woot! woot!) pin from Foundation Chair Sandra Fenton.

At this Friday's meeting our club directors will provide a quick update about the news and upcoming events within their respective committees!

Zoom is back for morning meetings. There will be a charge however - $10. Payment is to be sent to: etransfer@stalbertrotaryclub.ca 

To access the Zoom link for this meeting click here.

With the Christmas and holiday season and the impending closure of the Food Bank, there will be some changes to some meetings for the next few weeks as follows:

2 January - semi-regular meeting held at Tutti Frutti (#200, 10 McKenney Ave). No guest speaker or roster duties

9 January - regular meetings resume at the Food Bank

Updates will be passed on at Friday meetings and included in this bulletin.

A HUGE shout-out to the 36 Rotarians, spouses and friends of Rotarians who braved the cold to help the St. Albert Food Bank and Community Village last Friday. Over 600 Christmas hampers were distributed - thanks to all who volunteered!

Registration is now open for the Annual Heitzman Lobster Boil. Details are as follows:

1. Where : SPT Drilling, 25 Calder Place
2. When: Saturday 10 January 2026, 6:00pm
3. Cost: Lobster - $45. Steak - $20. Payment due upon registration.
4. Deadline for Registration: 5 January 2026. Invitations sent via Club Runner on 12 December, check your emails!

This is our most popular social event of the year. Space is limited and when it's sold out it is sold out. What to bring (plates, cutlery, beverages, side dishes/ desserts is all spelled out in Kevin's invitation email.

Our Annual General Meeting will be conducted this Friday 19 December 2025 at 310 Circle Drive (change of location, usual start time of 7:15 am). Agenda is as follows:

1. Call to Order
2. Adopt Agenda
3. Approval of minutes from 2024/25 AGM (to be circulated via Club Runner)
4. Review of Financial Statements 2024/25
5. Approval of 2025/26 Operating Budget
6. Certification of President-Elect for 2026/27 and Introduction of that Board
7. Nomination for Club President for 2027/28 (President-Elect-Elect)
8. Adjournment

This is an important meeting to conduct essential club business, please plan on attending!

The attendance sheet from the last morning meeting has gone missing. If you have it, please email a copy of it to secretary@stalbertrotaryclub.ca - thanks!

Hey folks, we are actively seeking guest speakers for our Friday meetings and ask that each member consider one speaker for the year.  Everyone knows someone interesting that could benefit from presenting to our Club, and our members benefiting in return. 

We are currently looking for speakers for 13 February 2026, 6 and 13 March 2026 and 10 April 2026.

Our fellow Service Clubs of St. Albert (SCOSA) have several upcoming volunteer opportunities:

• The Canadian Progress Club SILKS is conducting an online auction, more details can be found here.
• The Optimist Club is conducting a casino on 26-27 December and looking for chip runners and count room personnel. Please contact Lee Weiszhaar at stalbertoptimists@gmail.com if you can assist.

Our annual Christmas party at the Royal Canadian Legion was a blast! Special thanks to Club Services Chair Kevin Malinowski and his crew for putting on a first class shindig. Pictured above is Cathy Heron, who ran the gift exchange Family Feud-style, assisted by our exchange student Lily Hammer (smiling politely but surely wondering what possessed her to give up a December of gluhwein and Christmas markets in her homeland to experience this…).

The Rotary Club of St Albert - Saint City is running a wine draw and 50/50 raffle just in time for Christmas! Tickets are on sale now until 15 December - for more information, click here.

The Food Bank is looking for reusable bags - if you have any that you no longer need, they will happily to take them off your hands! Just bring them to any Friday morning meeting and we'll make sure they are passed on.

The Grey Cup party was a huge success! Attended by members of both our club and the Saint City Rotary Club, it featured great food, outstanding camaraderie and a fantastic game that came down to the final play. Many thanks to John Carle and Myron Kostick for co-hosting.

There are FIVE (5) avenues of service:

Club Service strengthens the club itself through fellowship and good governance; 

Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to uphold high ethical standards in their professions; 

Community Service focuses on improving life in the local community; 

International Service promotes world understanding and humanitarian efforts globally; and 

Youth Service recognizes the positive impact of youth through leadership development.

How many Rotary Avenues of Service are there and what are they? 

(Answer at the bottom of the bulletin).

Guess where we are going to dinner is back this Friday! Sign up, show up at a predetermined venue (TBA for those registered) for a pre-dinner drink, then head off to dinner. Where you are going and who you are dining with depends on which envelope you draw. This event is always a hit, please register (click this link) by Wednesday 15 October so that reservations can be made.

Get your Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) completed - it will enable you to host our exchange student Lily! Simple click HERE, fill in your name and send it to President Ed for signature. Once signed, simply present it at the RCMP office on Boudreau. Contact our Youth Services Chair Khorusha if you have any questions.

So we’ve got Laz and Kevin up front and Kenny Mac is tracking all the early arrivals down to make sure they feel welcome…awesome. Doug’s inspiration revolves around his recent trip to Jasper – the tourists are back, workers are in temp housing and the resilience of that town in overcoming the mental health challenges is moving. On this day in 1959 Soviet First Secretary Nikita Krushchev was banned from visiting Disneyland, Mickey’s got no time for commies. Ed’s got a shout out for the Food Bank crew, and it’s time to sample their wares.

It's time again for the Music Festival AGM so our man Mark is up. He immediately passes things over to Past Pres Ian, whose first order of business is to hand it back to Mark. Hmm. Not to worry though, Mark’s got a slide deck that needed multiple levels of encryption to get running. Did you know the Music Festival has been a thing for 48 years – which Mark tells us is only two short of 50. Yessir, it’s times like this that having an engineer in the club is gold! The Music Festival had 1100 participants last year, impressive! They need a signature sponsor though but not to worry, Mark’s on it. There’s a call for a few new board members, and Heike and Shawnna step up – well done ladies! There’s time for questions, so Ian takes a few and still finishes before Ed’s deadline.

We’ve got a secretary’s report: don’t park at the Careadon Village parking lot, you’ll get yourself towed. Craig is off to France but he’s still putting out bulletins, send your articles/news/whatever before 6 pm MDT Sunday. There are a few calendar items as well – tree planting on Sunday 28 Sep and a Garage Sale at 310 Circle on 4 Oct. Darija’s Peace Action Group reports a great turnout from the previous weekend’s event at Rotary Park – 35 total including members from the Saint City RC and the Lion’s Club as well. Woo hoo! The Youth Services Committee will convene on 6 Oct. Sandra has got an EREY for both Sean and Tristan, good job guys! President Ed has a few announcements: with several club officers away for the next few weeks, the October board meeting has been scrubbed. Since Ed’s one of the absentees, Darija will run the show in his place. And get your VSCs done folks! The form is on Clubrunner, just download it and take it to the RCMP station to get the ball rolling. Finally, Lily has her update: she attended a welcome back BBQ, both the Peace Ceremony and the Corn Roast last weekend and saw Hamilton, the movie not the city. And she has a flag from her sponsoring club which Ed was happy to accept.

Doug is the latest Secret Sarge, which means Jim is officially a part-timer. His fines are always interesting but his trivia questions mean you at least have a 50-50 chance. Daniela and Lynn have the right answers but Jim, Ken and Ian aren’t so lucky. Kevin gets drawn for the wine, a few happy bucks and fines from the floor later, and we’re out!

In the run up to World Polio Day 2025 on October 24^th and the Rotary District 5370 Conference in Whitehorse (Yukon) next May 2026, we invite your Rotary or Rotaract Clubs in District 5370 to get involved with the Miss Vicky Challenge 2026 for PolioPlus as part of your Club’s PolioPlus learning, advocacy and fundraising activities this Rotary year.

This is a partnership initiative with 2 long-time Rotarians and Polio Warriors Lee Harman and Winston Conyers, along with Miss Vicky – their refurbished 1931 Model A Ford. Lee is a retired Ophthalmologist, classic car aficionado, and Arch Klumph Society Member from the Rotary Club of Arlington, Washington (District 5050). Winston is a real estate agent, multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Major Donor from the Rotary Club of White Rock, BC (D5050). The three of them have been carrying out learning, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns for several years, including rallies with Miss Vicky from Peking-Paris in 2019 and Alaska-Mexico in 2023. They were at the recent Rotary International Convention in Calgary presenting a check of almost $109,000USD from last years challenge to Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Mark Maloney.

As the kickoff for our Rotary District 5370 partnership in the Miss Vicky Challenge 2026 for PolioPlus, we invite you to participate in a Zoom meet on Tuesday September 23^rd at 7-8pm MTN. Lee and Winston will be joining us with a presentation about the Rotary PolioPlus Campaign and share how and why the Miss Vicky Challenges for PolioPlus are successful. Donna and I will also be able to answer questions about how your Club can get involved. To register for our Rotary D5370 Foundation PolioPlus meeting, click HERE.

What a beautiful day for our annual corn roast! We were joined by members from the Saint City and Morinville Rotary clubs…great food, great fellowship and great times! Many thanks to Kevin and Ash for organizing this year's event, Doug, Sean and Sandra for cooking and serving and everyone else who contributed. See you next year!

The event was hosted by the Rotary Club of St. Albert and Saint City Rotary Club.

Thirty-five community leaders, families, friends, and changemakers gathered to honour the International Day of Peace. Together we reflected on the importance of peace and the role we play in creating an inclusive, supportive and strong community. 

We dedicated a Peace Pole with “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in 8 languages spoken in our community.  We stood in unity and made a collective Peace Pledge to live with respect, compassion, and unity. As Rotary Peacebuilders, we believe peace isn’t just the absence of conflict.  It’s the presence of justice, inclusion, and understanding. Peace begins with us, in how we treat one another, how we speak, how we serve, and how we show up in the world.  And in simple words of Mother Theresa, “Peace begins with a smile”.

Following a recent board decision, Zoom will return for morning meetings. Commencing for our morning meeting on September 19, 2025. There will be a charge however - $10. Payment is to be sent to: etransfer@stalbertrotaryclub.ca 

To access the Zoom link for this meeting click HERE.

Have we got a full house today or what? Good thing that Laz is at the front desk and Cathy’s along for the ride as well. Heike has the greeter gig covered. Kevin finds inspiration in the youth exchange experience, as Lily is in da house for her first meeting! Lots of guests here this morning, but Daniela is sad that both Ed and Kevin stole her thunder by introducing Lily, boo hoo. Kevin looks like he’s over it though and Ed definitely is. So we’ll move on. Heike does double duty with the Welcome Song, and it’s off for brekkie. 

Our man Ash is up to introduce our guest speaker, Rhonda Dean, Director and Chair of Smile YEG – an organization which provides hot meals to houseless people in downtown Edmonton. Every Sunday evening, Rhonda and her dedicated crew of volunteers serve around 300 hot meals and in doing so, provide a sense of dignity to those they serve. Smile YEG is unique from similar non-profits in that no rules and no judgement is paramount to what they do, and all the volunteers learn the name of one of their patrons – it all comes back to respect. What a powerful presentation and completed in five minutes to boot! Past President and guest Wally Monson is one of several members (past and current) who actively support Smile YEG – please reach out to him if you are interested in helping out. Sandra’s up to remind us that members can use their Paul Harris points to gift a PHF and calls Ash up to do just that – and he presents a PHF to Rhonda! Hey, well done to all involved! 

Next up is Lily to give an update on her initial weeks in Canada. She’s settling in nicely with her host (Moran) family and has started taking dance lessons. President Ed reminds everyone that it is a club responsibility to host Lily so she can get the most of her year in Canada – get your vulnerable security check (VSC) done people! Craig notes that if you want something in the bulletin, reach out by six pm on Sunday to be published the next day. Andre is curious what that is in military time. In the Army it’s 1800 hours; in the Air Force, the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand on the 6. But enough about that. Andre has a date for St. Albert Fights Hunger: 6-7 Mar 26 (TBC but probable). Kevin advises that the corn roast is a go – 4:30 pm on Sunday (1630 hrs / big hand-4, little hand-6); 58 have registered so far including 10 from Morinville. And don’t forget to bring your empties to help fund Lily’s dance lessons. Failing that, just drop them off with the host family – be sure to ring the bell if it’s way late. Sandra is happy to report that tree planting is back on for 28 Sep at high noon – please register in advance, sign-up email to follow. John announces a return of the SAiF Red Shoe Gala on Saturday 18 Oct, we need a few more for a table of Rotarians. Darija’s up to rep the Peace Action Group and show off their kick-ass new pole – it will be revealed this Sunday at 1pm at Rotary Park. President Ed finishes up the announcements with a biggie – our President-Elect-Nominee is…Mark Moran (woot woot!!). This appointment still needs to be ratified of course, but what an awesome choice! Okay so since Mark is about to get a key to the executive washroom, maybe don’t drop your empties in his driveway – just bring them on Sunday instead. Carla announces that Charlie has a birthday on 16 Sep – he’ll be LXXXVIII. Charlie and Marilyn will celebrate their 67^th (!!!) anniversary on 13 Sep, Craig and Carole their 36^th anniversary on 16 Sep (get that poor woman flowers or something) and 15 Sep marks Doug’s 45^th anniversary as a Rotarian. Great to see the youngsters represent! 

So Jim is away and instead we’ve got a secret Sarge and it’s…Sandra? I mean, why not pick the Fairy Godmother? She immediately fines Ian as the entire room points out his tardiness and then fines herself for chatting on the phone. But then she notes that Carla and Dooley are dressed all summery like her, so they get immunity. Playing favourites, I love it!! Terry didn’t know why Darija was featured in the Gazette (International Day of Peace), Heike guessed incorrectly at Polio Moose’s distant cousins (koala and lion) and the half dozen people going to France this month all get booked as well. Boom. Boom. Boom. Suddenly all the congeniality is gone and she’s knocking them down like Sarah Conner. Jim P lucks out on the wine draw, then offers some Happy Bucks hoping that the France crew will return with some top-notch wines. Two words Jim: embrace disappointment. Andre is off to the Zone 28 summit next week and he’s bringing his moose costume; and you thought goaltenders had a lot of equipment to haul! Ed gives a shout-out to our Caring Coordinator Terry, Four Way Test and we’re done here.

Our Public Image Committee is looking for some help! These folks fulfill a vital function, helping to spread the news about the great work that our club does both in the community and abroad. Please contact the Public Image Chair, Shelly Nichol if you can assist!

What’s better than a regular Friday meeting? One that kicks off a long weekend, that’s what! Laz and Su are up front taking names and cash and Cathy is the designated hugger. Ash is looking as chill as Johnny Bravo, or maybe the Big Lebowski aka The Dude; his inspirational moment reminds us that Service above Self is a commitment for Rotarians, because that’s how we roll baby! On this day in 1882, Australia defeated England in cricket for the first time. Ed brought that up specifically for Dooley, who wasn’t there, so sad. We’ve got a couple of guests and they’re lucky enough to hear the Welcome Song and it's off for breakfast. 

Ed’s up to introduce our guest speaker – he apologizes for interrupting breakfast, but he doesn’t look too sorry. Today’s speaker is our very own Khorusha Naidoo who is here to tell her story. As a child growing up she dreamt of being both a mother and a teacher. And so it came to pass, just not as envisioned; her son Uriah was born deaf. She went on to describe how he received cochlear implants (CI) – which allow people with profound hearing loss to hear speech by bypassing the ear – and how it has affected them both. Uriah has been through 13(!!) surgeries to date, and she has had to change her mindset to choose resilience. We have had some truly inspirational speakers before, but Khorusha’s story hits close to home – thank you for sharing with us this morning. 

Sandra is up to recognize a few folks: Darel, Andre, Jim W, Donne, Ian and Sandra herself all receive their Every Rotarian Every Year badge. Ian receives his first PHF, and Kevin gets his Paul Harris Society pin – a commitment to donating $1000 US annually to the Foundation. Well done everyone!! Andre admits that he’s been drinking from the firehose trying to learn as much as possible as the District Governor Nominee Designate. Say that five times quickly! Anyways, District 5370 has monthly committee meetings in the same manner as clubs (Community, Membership, etc), and he’s encouraging our members to participate as it is mutually beneficial. Also, his International Committee will meet on 2 September, see the bulletin for details. Guest Jaelynn from Inclusion Alberta gives a shout out to Ann for a lead which led to employment for one of their clients. Another (Jerome) is looking for employment in either a grocery or hardware store; be like Ann and help hook him up! John happily reports that we’re at 621 flags. He held a Ways & Means meeting on Tuesday, lots of great ideas. Ed reminded all members to join a fundraising task force (flags, Ribfest, garage sale, whatever) as we need members to participate in our fundraising projects. Mason arrived safely in Mexico and is now attending school. Darija shows off a shiny new Club Excellence Award that we got from District, how nice. And while recruiting for the PE Search Committee, she mentions that members cannot serve as president, so immediately Shelly and Daniela volunteer.  Work avoidance at its best! And Lily arrives on 30 August from Germany, we will see her soon! Finally, the Corn Roast will now be on 14 September, not the week earlier as previously advertised. 

Jim is back at work after a few weeks away. He thanks the Secret Sarges for covering for him, most of whom were nice (no, not you Craig!). The wine is drawn for, and the boy in red (aka Kevin) is the lucky winner. I mean all he’s missing is a red stocking cap and he could pass for a summertime version of Elf on a Shelf. Some people get fined for their fashion choices, but Jim’s got a thing for dudes in red so Kevin is safe. There are plenty of fines to go around though: Ed tries to pre-pay his fine but Jim’s having none of it, his crack about Khorusha’s slide deck gets him booked. The elf’s comment on her pom poms draws a fine, as does Donne’s arrival (last in) and Charlene’s pic on the front of the Gazette. She gets a jab in for her troubles though – she pays the Gazette so we don’t have to!! That’s it GF, stick it to the man! Or Jim, whichever. Craig gets tagged for being a lousy slide bitch, but Ed’s got him covered as a loyal officer of the regime. There’s plenty of Happy Bucks as well: former exchange student Enni made the Finnish national ringette squad and Kevin ran a profitable garage sale. Andre’s opening comment “I’ve been drinking…” has Jim P seeking directions to the Firehose Tavern and Daniela likes Craig’s bulletins so she contributes some Happy Leus to the kitty. Mark’s sad though, his daughter turned 16 is now driving. Cheer up Mark – you had breakfast with four lovely ladies! Dressing like you’ve got a job interview probably helped, women do like a sharp dressed man. Finally, John shouts out the SAiF Red Shoe Gala will run on Saturday 18 October at the Doubletree in West Edmonton. And with that, the Sarge is out. We’ll finish up with the Four Way Test and that’s all she wrote.

All these Rotarians have made the threshold this year with their donations to Rotary international. Congratulations on your continued support of Rotary’s mission. Recipients include (left to right) Ian Soder, Donne Wolf, Andre Charrois, Darel Baker, JIm Whitesell and Sandra Fenton.

The District 5370 Rotary Indigenous Committee is honoured to welcome Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, renowned Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and public intellectual, as the featured speaker in our upcoming Speaker Series session. Dr. Sinclair will lead a compelling and timely discussion on Truth and Reconciliation, exploring the ongoing journey of healing and justice between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

This event will occur on September 25^th, 2025 at 5:00 pm MDT.  There is no charge for this virtual event and the Eventbrite registration link follows below.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/HIP/events/walking-together/

There is NO regular meeting on Friday, September 5. Regular Friday meetings will resume on September 12.

The Corn Roast will now be held on Sunday, September 14, not September 7. The location remains the same, Lion's Park.

Hey folks if you haven't yet done so, please join one of our fabulous committees! We have some great Rotarians doing stellar work, but they can't do it by themselves! Please reach out to one or more of our awesome committee chairs, or show up at a meeting - committees are where the bulk of our club's work is accomplished. Our directors include:

John Carle - Ways & Means

Andre Charrois - International Services

Sandra Fenton - Foundation

Kevin Malinowski - Club Services

Jennifer McCurdy - Community Services

Khorusha Naidoo - Youth Services

Carla Nelson - Membership

Shelly Nichol - Public Image

Jody Swanson - Vocational Services

It's been another great year for our Flag Program, with 621 subscriptions! Thanks to everyone who supported the program. Flags will be collected following the Labour Day weekend.

Our new exchange student is here!! Lily arrived in Edmonton on Saturday, August 30 and was met by an enthusiastic welcome party! Looking forward to meeting you soon Lily!

Hey, it’s been a minute since we’ve had one of these! Light crowd today as several members are still away on holidays – either by their own choice or thoughtfully extended by Air Canada. Laz and Craig are manning the front desk, so you know that sheet is going to balance. No greeter today, oh well. And Ed Heitzman seems surprised that he’s been tapped for inspirational moment (someone really should put these meeting duties into the bulletin) but he pulls it off because he’s Ed, and not all heroes wear capes. President Ed rings the bell at 7:15 sharp, and thanks Suzan, Doug and the Food Bank staff for getting up at Zero-Dark-Stupid (old Army term!) to prepare breakfast for us. And if you didn’t know that on this day in 1914 the Canadian Parliament passed the War Measures Act, well Ed’s got you covered. Jody does a land acknowledgement and rocks it, natch. Only two guests today but we’ll regale them with the Welcome Song, and it’s off for bacon and eggs.

Jody is up to tell us about our guest speaker, St. Albert Metis Elder Garry Gairdner. Garry has a comprehensive resume, and she seems determined to cover all of it in her introduction. His non-profit organization, the River Lot Trading Post Co-Op, aims to build and operate an old school trading post on St. Albert’s Historic River Lots 23 and 24 (home to the city's grain elevators) to serve as a tourist attraction and promote Indigenous history and culture. Trading posts and the fur trade have a long history in St. Albert, and this would help promote Indigenous heritage in this community by selling arts, crafts and traditional plants and medicines. There’s time left for a few questions, and President Ed seizes the levers of power afforded by his office to ask the first one – what’s the timeline? Garry would like to see it built within the next two years. Great topic, thanks Garry!

Sandra is up to present a PHF+1 to Kevin, well done that man!! And in the background, Jody is closing out Garry’s slide deck and reopening Ed’s. Or trying to. Minimize. Open Explorer. Reopen Powerpoint, reposition that window. Minimize. OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST CLICK THE MAXIMIZE BUTTON, THE SLIDE SHOW TAB AND CONTINUE FROM CURRENT SLIDE!! OCD is a terrible thing to have, or at least so I’ve heard. Anyways. Craig is up for a quick Secretary’s report, recently departed outbound student Mason thanking everyone for attending his farewell party a few weeks back. Enjoy your year in Mexico Mason! And there are a few announcements: the Garage Sale runs Sunday, there’s lots of great items and a few more hands to help sell it would be welcome. Flags go out next week, and there are a few routes that need to be covered, please help out! There’s a Ways & Means meeting on Tuesday 26 Aug at 310 Circle. Inbound exchange student Lily Hammer will be arriving next weekend from Deutschland, more to follow on that. And the corn roast will open for registration in the next few days, watch for the invite. There’s no birthdays report, but both Kevin (23 Aug) and Mark (24 Aug) have birthdays this weekend, and Kevin is celebrating his first anniversary as a Rotarian, also 23 Aug. Woo hoo!! 

Well with Jim still away there a secret Sarge, and it's…Craig. Oh, good. Back, like an unvited dinner guest. He wastes no time recruiting David's son Saxon to help out, because apparently he's a big proponent of child labour. The first order of business is to draw for wine, and it's President Ed's lucky day! This immediately draws calls of FIX!! from the peanut gallery, and poor young Dooley is crushed. I mean, accusing Malin or Dooley senior of corruption is one thing, but his kid? Justice is swiftly served, and young Saxon is dispatched to the back table to collect. The perpetrators could have been Laz and Shelly, but we'll go with Statler and Waldorf - two of my favourite muppets - to protect their identities. Ravi was the last person to arrive, Daniela didn't read this week's Gazette, Charlene couldn't recall the stories in the most recent bulletin, and Kevin told a lame pun. Fined, fined, fined and fined. Mark doesn't reply to texts, Shawna has been away for a while and Heike is just back from visiting BC (we'll call hers a Welcome Back tax). All fined, all deserved. Determined to squeeze the last nickel out of the room, Happy/Sad bucks are sought and Kim, who should have been in the Turks and Caicos Islands (thanks again to our national carrier), but got to have breakfast with Darel, Kevin, Ian and Mark instead. Hmm, not much of a consolation prize, but we'll give a Rotary key chain as well. And Doug gives a shout out to members who assisted with the Community Foundation Charity Golf Tourney at the Sturgeon. Jeri was bundled up at the fifth hole checking for holes-in-one. She recalled that when she was a Mountie, they called the white camouflage gear their sperm suits! How cool is that?? Craig is happy to report that Ribfest was a smashing success - our event was described by the rib teams as the gold standard! The numbers are still being crunched but it was a moneymaker - thanks to all who helped out! Garry has some happy bucks because he enjoyed breakfast and we're a fun-loving bunch. And the Sarge is out! Jody is just finishing up the introduction of the guest speaker, Ed leads us in the Four Way Test and that's a wrap!

Come and check out our incredible merchandise that is returned from some of our major box stores and is donated to charity for fundraising. These are some deals you can only dream of.

We are adding the option that will allow you to donate items worthy of our sale that we can sell in the garage sale. If your item doesn't sell, we will be donating the items to Habitat for Humanity or one of the other groups such as LOSECA. If you want your item back you need to be there at 3:00 pm to take home. (The work for us to track who things belong to and to store them is too intensive.)

Click HERE to go to the event page and volunteer to work the event.

Hey folks, are you getting overwhelmed with emails, announcements, notices and the like? Let me help you with that!! As announced at a recent club meeting, we would like to use this club bulletin as a repository for all routine correspondence, to include announcements of committee meetings, recaps of club-sponsored events, news stories etc - in part to reduce the volume of emails that we all receive. Similarly, if you have a story that you would like to share with the club (for example - Mason's farewell shindig), send me a brief summary and a picture of the event, I will get it into the next bulletin. Please send me anything that you wish to have published by Sunday 7:00pm MDT/MST and I'll endeavour to get it into the next bulletin.

Craig Malin

Secretary, Rotary Club of St. Albert

secretary@stalbertrotaryclub.ca

Ribfest 2025 is in the books and was a massive success!! According to Edward Bonvie, the lead for the Western Canada Ribfest tour, our event was “the best run event that they've ever had” and that the St. Albert Ribfest was the “Gold Standard” of Ribfests.

The event has become hugely popular, not just in St. Albert but for residents of Edmonton and surrounding municipalities. It was best noted as follows: “We're bringing community together, kids are playing and laughing, and we're having a lot of fun. We did this for the community.”

Many thanks to everyone who participated, from the Ribfest Committee, Rotarians, spouses, friends of the club and volunteers from the community who participated to make this event the success that it was. See you all in 2026!!!

On August 1 our club said goodbye to outbound exchange student Mason Judson. He departs next week for his year-long exchange to Los Mochis, a city of 362,000 situated in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. He has been working diligently on his fluency in Spanish - as demonstrated when he gave his presentation to the club - entirely en español! Que tengas un buen viaje Mason - we hope you have a great experience in Los Mochis this coming year!!

Our first club assembly was a great event! President Ed reviewed the club's plans for the year and a summary of upcoming major events. Club directors gave a brief overview of the goals of their respective committee. Additionally, it was outbound exchange student Mason Judson's last meeting, he will be departing for his year long exchange in Mexico next week. Many thanks to Chef Laz for hosting and preparing an awesome meal of smoked pork loin!

Join us for the first Club Assembly and evening meeting of the year on Thursday July 31, 2025 at 310 Circle Drive! Board chairs will provide a brief overview of their plans and projects for the year with hopes that you will join their committees. The fun starts at 6:00 pm with smoked pork roast courtesy of Chef Laz and beverages. Registration is now open - please register in advance. See you there!

St. Albert Rotary Ribfest 2025 is almost here!! The event will run from 8-10 August 2025 at the Century Casino, 24 Boudreau Road in St. Albert.  There will be three great rib teams participating this year - Billy Bones BBQ, Blazing BBQ and Buckeye BBQ. There will be live music throughout the weekend, with headline acts Mourning Wood and the Party Darts performing Friday and Saturday respectively. This is first major fundraiser of the new year and should be an awesome show! The sign-up sheet for volunteers is now active - we need entrance monitors, raffle ticket sellers, refreshment ticket sellers and bartenders (Pro-Serve certification required for some positions). Please help out where you can - this promises to be a fantastic event and should be a great fundraiser for the club!

Garage Sale

Hosted by the St. Albert Rotary Club

Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Parking lot of 310 Circle Drive, St. Albert   Click here for directions

Join us for a community-wide Garage Sale Fundraiser in support of two incredible local organizations!

All proceeds from the event will go to:

• St. Albert Food Bank
• St. Albert Rotary Club community initiatives

Great Deals, Hidden Treasures, Community Spirit

Bring your friends, family, and your reusable bags—there’s something for everyone!

Don’t miss out on the bargains and the chance to support great causes in your community.

Community Paul Harris Fellow Celebration

Love Pickleball? Register Today for Saturday's Tournament!

Click here to Register!

Charter Night Meeting

Rotary International President
Jennifer Jones Speaks About
the August 2022 Theme
"Membership and Extention"