99th Annual National Convention
Calgary, Alberta
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Yahoo! An enthusiastic group of CWL members and guests embarked on a guided bus tour of Calgary, a great way to get in the mood for the convention. Jim Walker, our knowledgeable guide, in addition to pointing out significant places and buildings, and giving some history, threw in interesting details, such as Calgary is the sunniest city in Canada (3,300 hours a year) and why there are brown trout (a non-native species) in the Bow River.
Three stops gave ample opportunity for photographs. The first stop was the Stampede Grounds where the magnificent statues of Horses Watering in the Bow drew all eyes. Note a picture of the same is here in the Hyatt.
St. Mary’s University was next, where Dr. Peter Baltutis, CWL chair and assistant professor of history and Catholic studies AND one of our presenters on Tuesday, gave a brief history and overview of this unique Catholic university. He showed us the intriguing St. John’s Bible. In the hall a beautiful quilt “We are all related” by a Saskatchewan Indigenous artist caught my eye. Two programs at St. Mary’s are especially noteworthy, one a new bachelor of arts in social justice and Catholic studies, described as a way of uniting love of God and neighbour; the other humanities 101 “which brings free university level courses to people who have experienced barriers such as poverty, abuse, addictions, homelessness and interruptions to their education” (Marian Update Summer 2019).
The last stop at the site of the Canadian Winter Olympics of 1988 brought out the playful side of the group as they vied for the chance to take photographs on the medal podium or in the famous Jamaican bobsled.
Mary Nordick
