Community Spirit Lives Here! 2022-23

Rebekah is a local mother of four who devotes much of her spare time to volunteering with local schools and community groups. When she isn’t teaching piano lessons, you can find her donating her time to local groups including the Riverview Middle School Fundraising Council, Devon Soccer Association and Devon Skating Club. 

She is currently President of the Fundraising Council at Riverview which has had an exceptional year raising funds and donating items to the school. In addition to this, she is a key volunteer for their hot lunch program and commits countless hours to picking up, sorting, and distributing hot lunches at the school.

She has volunteered with both the Devon Soccer Association and the Devon Skating Club in a wide variety of roles for the past 10 years! For the Soccer Association, she was a part of the exceptionally committed leaders who stepped up to keep soccer in our community. And with the Devon Skating Club, she has most recently served as President for the past two years, ensuring that the Skate Canada programs run efficiently and effectively in our community. 

We asked some community members to share their thoughts about Rebekah. Here is some of what we heard:

“Rebekah has volunteered countless hours for our Fundraising Society. She has been instrumental in helping raise funds for our school which has directly benefited all students. Each time Rebekah visits the school she radiates positive energy. Her work ethic is contagious, and she inspires those around her to be the best they can be!” - Jared Coffin, Acting Principal, Riverview Middle School

“Rebekah brings invaluable insight thanks to her long history volunteering with the Devon Soccer Association as well as her experience with other associations.” - Sarah Wallace, President Devon Soccer

Devon Communities in Bloom is delighted to recognize Rebekah Ott for her community building efforts through their program Community Spirit Lives Here! She makes Devon a better place.

It has become evident by this third year of the Community Spirit Lives Here! program that there are many community builders in Devon who perform small tasks and take part in big projects to enrich the lives of other residents.  Ed Schykulski is one of those people.

Over the past few years, Ed has contributed time, materials and the use of his fabrication shop for the building of raised planters for seniors. The planters were placed in the courtyard behind Goldring Manor and in the Community Garden for the residents of Discovery Place. This new gardening activity has provided a physically and mentally beneficial pastime for the residents who now get to spend time outdoors socializing with neighbours. 

He is an active committee member of the Devon Art Association. Drawing upon a lifetime of experience working with metals, he is perpetuating the 200-year history of trench art by fabricating interesting and attractive items out of spent bullet brass and empty shotgun shells. Ed has generously gifted several individuals with his artistic creations.

To offer the skills he developed in the aviation industry building and repairing commercial and military airplanes, Ed volunteered his skills at Fort Edmonton Park where he rebuilt antique vehicles and farm equipment. He also built special-effects equipment and provided technical assistance for the annual Halloween event.

Ed is a devoted attendee at many community events, often lending a helping hand to assist committee members with a variety of tasks. He participates in educational events such as Walk the Talks to be an informed citizen. 

During the winter, as a gesture of goodwill and concern for the safety of his neighbours, Ed clears the snow and ice from the sidewalks along the street in his neighbourhood. You will also see him directing traffic every year to help with Christmas in the Park. 

Having an appreciation for diverse cultures, ethnic foods and crafts, he has given personalized tours to friends introducing them to a wide variety of traditional handicrafts and gastric delights from foreign countries. 

This anecdote attests to Ed’s thoughtfulness and reliability. He received an “urgent” phone call one day while in a friend’s car. He was heard to say without hesitation, “Yes, I’ll be right there as soon as I get home”. It was later learned that his good deed was to remove living mice from the mouse traps in a friend’s house.  

Devon Communities in Bloom is delighted to recognize Ed Schykulski for his community building efforts through their program Community Spirit Lives Here!  He makes Devon a better place.

When Grant and his family moved to Devon in 1975, it did not take long for him to start volunteering.  He was an executive member of Devon minor hockey and coached at several levels.  As a Level 4 coach, he willingly shared his knowledge at coaching clinics throughout central Alberta.  

He was a town councillor from 2007-2013.  A reason he ran for Council was that he felt it was one way he could make a difference.  As councillor, he was a member of the library board and was the Council representative, and an original member, on the River Valley Alliance (RVA) committee.  

He has remained a member of the RVA and is currently a member of the Community Engagement Committee.  In this role, he acts as liaison between Devon and the RVA with the primary objective of increasing public awareness and support for the river valley trail system.  He is enthusiastic about the trails as they allow people to appreciate the river valley and enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors.  He also recognizes the legacy that the trail system will leave for future generations and is proud that Devon’s section is complete.

Grant facilitates the FCSS indoor walking program (Oct-Apr) and the summer walking program (May-Sept).  The indoor program provides a safe place to walk at the Community Centre.  In each fall and winter session, an exercise specialist from the Primary Care Network provides a presentation on the benefits of regular exercise.  In the summer walking program, Grant showcases his beloved trails (about 50) in Devon, varying the trail selection to accommodate walkers of all levels.  

Grant’s education in Business Administration and his work experience as a telecommunications manager have given him the skills to be an effective member of various organizations.  He is a director on the board of the Canadian Energy Museum.  The board’s role is to keep the Leduc #1 facility a viable and useful resource for the community.  

He has been a director and vice-president, and is presently president, at the Pioneer 73 Club, a seniors’ organization which provides a facility for groups to meet in and which offers many activities for members.

While employed by Telus and EPCOR, Grant promoted his favourite charitable causes gaining financial support for them.

He meets regularly with a group of University of Alberta graduates in the Provost Club.  It provides networking, social, and educational opportunities for members where Grant takes every opportunity to promote Devon.

Grant is also committed to the broader communities of Alberta and Canada, with a focus on healthcare. He is an active member of the Al Shamal Shriners (and is a past president or Potentate) and supports their charitable undertakings, especially children’s hospitals.  He is a non-medical member on two advisory boards for the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research.  Two areas currently being studied are high blood pressure and senior long-term/homecare. 

When asked why he is a volunteer, Grant replied that a primary motivator is helping others.  He recognizes the positivity that volunteering offers, the ability to encourage others, and the social element that is inherent in volunteering.  

Devon residents who know and have worked with Grant observed that he embodies community spirit. 

“He is always willing to give a helping hand and does so with enthusiasm and compassion.”

“He is a passionate Devon ambassador who shares information about our community and his love for our trails.”

“If Grant tells you that he will do something, you can be sure that it will be done.”

Devon Communities in Bloom is delighted to recognize Grant Geldart for his community building efforts through their program Community Spirit Lives Here!  He makes Devon a better place.

After 33 years of operating a tree nursery near Barrhead where they had raised three sons, Karen Macaulay and her husband Allan decided to sell and move to the Edmonton area. After exploring Devon’s river valley and residential areas, they were smitten by everything being located within a few blocks of spectacular natural areas.

The Devon Nordic Ski Club was also an attraction. As an advocate for healthy outdoor, family-oriented recreation, Karen joined the club right away. She took the ski instructor course and has coached a class in the youth program Sunday afternoons for 14 winters since then. She has looked after the rental skis for the youth program since 2009 and served on the board of directors for many years. She also assists with the annual Devon Nordic Family Loppet, the planting of annuals in the Nordic Bed at Centennial Park in the spring, and the trail cleanup in the fall.

Karen has had a life-long interest in nature, recognizing its essential role in humanity’s wellness and survival. It was the reason she completed a Bachelor of Science in zoology at the University of Alberta and then worked as a biologist with the Government of Alberta and as a research botanist in Tanzania. The love of nature motivated her, along with others, to form the Devon Nature Club in 2014. The Club’s mission is to promote appreciation and preservation of the ecological communities and natural environment in and around Devon. The founders of the club create opportunities for members to learn from one another and local experts through the club’s Facebook page and presentations by guest speakers. A few years ago, Karen invited members of the Edmonton Nature Club to walk through the Battery Creek ravine. They observed that the ravine had the highest biodiversity of any place they’d visited in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. Karen tirelessly shares the message about how important it is for people visiting natural areas to stay on maintained trails to prevent environmental degradation and allow sensitive species to continue living where they are.

As a representative of the Nature Club, Karen spent many hours promoting the creation of the Bob McDonald Nature Park, working extensively with Bob’s wife and son, and the Town of Devon, to set aside space where nature appreciation and conservation are priorities.

Another project Karen is involved in through the Nature Club is the restoration of the wetland at the south end of Highwood Park. When nearby residents asked for it to be restored to a natural wetland, the Devon Nature Club worked with the residents and the Town to replant it with native species. Since then, the Club has done an annual weed pull to remove invasive species to help the native plants flourish. 

Karen also volunteers for the Town’s Trail Ambassador Program which involves sharing information about Devon’s trail system. 

Karen has shared her love of Devon’s natural areas with friends and family members including two sons, two daughters-in-law, two sets of daughters-in-law’s parents, and eight grandchildren who also reside here. She has shown by example the importance of volunteering and advocating for decisions that reflect one’s values.

Devon Communities in Bloom is delighted to recognize Karen Macaulay for her community building efforts through their program Community Spirit Lives Here!  She makes Devon a better place.

Marc Haine is an active volunteer in Devon and he is ENTHUSIASM personified. 

Marc is the founder of the Arts Association of Devon which was formed in 2017.  Most people recognize that association by the group that puts on Devon’s monthly arts market. He continues to serve as the president of that organization.

He is co-founder of Walk the Talks, the local group that hosts monthly speakers who educate their audiences on a variety of environmental sustainability issues, innovations and challenges.

Marc joined Devon’s Toastmasters group in 2012 and since then he has served the organization in various roles.  He eventually became the district public relations manager responsible for promoting toastmasters all over Alberta and Saskatchewan.  In 2018, he chartered a new club called Go Pro to help emerging and inspiring speakers get into the professional speaking business.

East of 60 is another local organization that Marc has been associated with since 2016.  He has acted in three productions to date and is currently working on a new role that we will be able to see on stage this spring. 

We asked some community members to share their thoughts about Marc.  Here is some of what we heard:

“Marc is one of the most community minded people I know and is always willing to step up when asked for help with his many wonderful public relations skills.”  

“Marc is one of the most enthusiastic & hardest working people I know. He’s like the energizer bunny - never stops! Still; he always finds time to give to others, volunteering his talents with the same level of positive energy.”

“Marc generously and enthusiastically donates his time, polished hosting skills and online technical expertise to several community groups.”

“Marc is a great collaborator.  He is kind-hearted, funny and has a multitude of skills.  We are so fortunate that he willingly volunteers to benefit others in our town and beyond.”

Devon Communities in Bloom is delighted to recognize Marc Haine for his community building efforts through their program Community Spirit Lives Here!  He makes Devon a better place.