Have you ever noticed how quickly bad news can eclipse good news? I had a prime example of that on Monday after a very nice series of work-related experiences.
On Friday afternoon I met with Kaeden Rendek, who is now attending his first year at the University of Saskatchewan after graduating from PCSS last year. As nice a young man as one could hope to meet, Kaeden Rendek was quick to respond when I asked about the life lessons he has learned in his 12 years in judo. “Responsibility, respect, commitment…”
On the Saturday afternoon I got in another hike on Goat Mountain. Not exactly work-related, but I do usually take photos in case I need them for the paper or our Travel Guide. On this sunny day I got up high enough to end up lumbering my way through knee-deep snow (with snowshoes left at home in the closet, of course), but it was a good outing nevertheless.
On Sunday I took my usual spot in the Prince Charles Theatre for another in what has been a terrific series of performances presented by the Creston Concert Society.
I had no idea what to expect, but like the rest of the 200-plus audience, I was immediately impressed with the Bridge-Wolak Duo. Michael Bridge strode out onto the stage bearing what appeared to be a wooden accordion, his right hand attacking the 90 buttons that first made sounds like organ keys. With his musical partner Kornel Wolak, a clarinet virtuoso, he breathed new life into classical music pieces.
We eventually learned that the instrument strapped onto Bridge’s chest was a synthesizer accordion, the first of its kind in Canada. The Italian-made instrument works much like a keyboard synthesizer, but still uses bellows to create a multitude of sounds. The concert was, quite simply, wonderful.
I dashed out just before the final number so that I could get home to call Pascale Hutton for a scheduled interview. Many readers will remember Pascale as the daughter of Creston teachers Elizabeth and Ian Hutton. I last wrote about her when Arctic Air was the flagship of CBC-TV dramas, about six years ago.
Today, the wife of a Vancouver policeman and mother of two boys, Pascale has become closely identified with the Hallmark Channel. She has a starring role in the popular When Calls the Heart, a period drama set in a coal-mining town called Hope Valley.
Pascale was an eager drama student in her PCSS years and went on to pursue her education in Edmonton before relocating to Vancouver. She has worked steadily as an actor ever since. When I began looking into her recent career activity to prepare for the interview I was intrigued by her association with the Hallmark Channel, which produces most of its programming in Vancouver and Toronto. She has starred in three Hallmark movies and has a continuing role in When Calls the Heart, which opened its sixth season hours after we chatted.
Especially interesting is that she and her fictional husband, the actor Kavan Smith, have been able to pitch movie ideas to Hallmark, and are working on a project that they will star in, to be filmed later this year. In addition to acting credits, they will also serve as executive producers. It has been great fun to follow this delightful woman’s career over the years.
Then, on Monday morning, I was at my desk early, with a 9 a.m. visit to the Lower Kootenay Band offices scheduled. I read through the material I had been provided with about the new scannable Indian Status cards that the LKB is now piloting, then opened my MacBook to check mail and messages.
My heart sank when I learned of the death of Sandra Alfoldy. Sandra was the second of two daughters born to Elaine and Andy Alfoldy, who have evolved to become the éminence grise of the vibrant Creston arts scene. After graduating from PCSS, Sandra pursued a post-secondary education in the arts, eventually becoming a Professor of Craft History at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and Associate Curator of Fine Craft at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Sandra was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer about a year ago, and her loss leaves behind her beloved children.
In our early years in Creston we, like so many, were introduced to the world of art collecting through the very affordable, and even more beautiful, paper batiks that Elaine and Andy made. We watched from a distance as their daughters grew into lovely young women and then left to build their lives. My heart goes out to these two incredible parents.
