Student highland dancers celebrated by Red Deer Public Schools

Local students compete at several Highland Dance competitions

Two Red Deer Public students went on the adventure of a lifetime across the pond this past summer as they competed in a number of Highland Dance competitions.

Tyler Martinez, 15, a Grade 10 student at Hunting Hills High School, and Kenzie Martinez, 13, a Grade 8 student at Eastview Middle School traveled to Scotland in August with their family. Both girls have been highland dancing for the last four years, and have done exceptionally well.

“They started dancing when they were three with jazz, tap and musical theater,” said Kelly Martinez, Tyler and Kenzie’s mom and a Teacher with Red Deer Public Schools. “The girls take lessons in Red Deer and they also do Zoom lessons with the current Highland Dance Canadian Adult Champion.”

Although both Tyler and Kenzie have enjoyed dance for many years, they have become particularly fond of highland dance.

“I like the competitiveness of highland dance and being an individual sport, how well you do is based on your efforts and how hard you’ve worked,” said Tyler.

For Kenzie, she said she enjoys the travel the most because competitions take place all over the world. “We get to compete in so many places and meet new people,” she said.

Kelly, who was a former highland dancer herself, said the travel is something she enjoyed when she was competing, adding the girls have competed in Halifax, Winnipeg, British Columbia and now Scotland. “When you are at a competition there are competitors from all over the world and it’s so neat to see the kids talking and exchanging stories,” she said.

As for their adventure in Scotland, the Martinez family left on Aug. 12 and competed at the Stirling Highland Games, the Commonwealth Championship and Cowal World Championship Qualifiers held in Dunoon, Argyll. At the competitions they danced a Highland Fling, Sword, Seann Triubhas, Reel, Jig, Barracks Johnny and Laddie.

Tyler received a judge’s placing at both the Commonwealth Championship and the Cowal Gathering. This means she was given a score by a judge as being top six in her class in the world. Both girls also took home prize money for their performances at the Stirling Highland Games.

Reflecting on their experience, it was a trip to remember. “The weather of course was so different, and the dancing outside was different than we’re used to,” said Tyler, adding a highlight for her was the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

For Kenzie, a highlight was competing at the Cowal Gathering. “I like that we could travel to Scotland and we could be at a big competition like that,” she said.

Kelly competed in Scotland in 1992, so the experience of taking her daughters was extra special. “It was amazing because it was such a different experience as a parent than as a dancer,” she said. “I’m very proud of the girls because they are very driven, and they train four or five times a week. They really love it and it makes me happy to see my kids doing something that I loved growing up, too. We really enjoyed being immersed in the culture in Scotland, there’s bagpipers everywhere you go. It was a really great experience.”

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TDF and James Kitchen appeal Monique LaGrange decision to Alberta Court of Appeal

Published on January 23, 2025

Todayville

TDF’s Legal Team

Written by TDF’s Legal Team

The Democracy Fund (TDF), together with lawyer James Kitchen, will appeal a recent Alberta Court decision involving school trustee Monique LaGrange. Mrs. LaGrange was a trustee of the Red Deer Catholic school board until the board disqualified her as a result of memes she posted and media interviews she gave, of which a majority of the trustees disapproved.

Mr. Kitchen has now filed his Notices of Appeal with the Alberta Court of Appeal, which can be read here and here.

In 2023, Mrs. LaGrange shared a meme on her personal Facebook account outlining her concerns about the increasing indoctrination of students into Queer theory and transgender ideology. The meme featured two side-by-side images: one of young children holding swastika flags and the other of young children holding pride progress flags, accompanied by the caption, “Brainwashing is brainwashing.” The post garnered support but also criticism, especially from teachers and other school trustees. One of the trustees submitted a complaint alleging that by posting the meme Mrs. LaGrange had violated many sections of the new trustee code of conduct.

Following a hearing in September 2023, a majority of the board of trustees determined Mrs. LaGrange had breached the code of conduct. The board imposed several sanctions, including that she cease making any public statements in areas touching upon or relating to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, issue a public apology, and complete sensitivity training at her own expense.

Mrs. LaGrange refused to issue an apology and maintained that her actions were consistent with her commitment to protecting children, stating, “I was elected to stand up and protect our children, and that is what I am doing.”

Shortly thereafter, another trustee submitted a complaint about Mrs. LaGrange, alleging that she had again violated the code of conduct and also breached the sanctions by posting another meme and doing two media interviews. The meme was a popular one depicting a wolf with colourful make-up with the caption, “I just want to read some books to your chickens”.

After a second hearing, a majority of the trustees again determined Mrs. LaGrange had breached the code of conduct and the sanction regarding public comments. The board then disqualified her as a trustee, effectively kicking her off the board.

The lawyer for Mrs. LaGrange, James Kitchen, said:

“This case is the first of its kind. Never before has an Alberta board of school trustees kicked another trustee off the board for what effectively amounts to a disagreement regarding expressed political and religious beliefs (disguised, in our view, as trustee misconduct). Such an outcome has been made possible by the recent adoption of trustee codes of conduct by Alberta school boards. These new codes enable a majority of trustees to censor and cancel individual trustees with whom they politically disagree. In this case, it appears that a majority of politically left-leaning school trustees applied the code of conduct to a politically disfavoured trustee in order to censure, humiliate, and remove Monique for her outspoken opposition to the sexualization and indoctrination of young students.”

TDF and Mr. Kitchen challenged the board’s decision at a judicial review at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench. The Court varied the board’s apology requirement but otherwise upheld all of the board’s findings.

TDF litigation director Mark Joseph expressed concern over the broader implications of the case, stating:

“Disqualifying a democratically-elected representative based on public comments sets a dangerous precedent. It undermines free speech rights, tolerance for political diversity, and representative democracy by allowing officials to impose ideological purity tests on electoral candidates. The proper response to allegations of bad policy is repudiation at the ballot box rather than official disqualification. If upheld, this decision will pose a significant threat to democratic rights in Canada.”

About The Democracy Fund

Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education. TDF supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.

RCMP

Over $100,000 cash seized by RCMP in Red Deer drug bust

Published on January 23, 2025

Todayville

News release from Alberta RCMP

Red Deer RCMP arrest individual for drug trafficking

On Jan. 22, 2025, Red Deer RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) arrested one male as a result of a drug trafficking investigation.

Police executed search warrants on a residence and motor vehicle in the Red Deer area. As a result of the investigation, police seized over 16 ounces of cocaine that had been pre-packaged for sale and also pressed into a brick form, 140 Oxycodone tablets, items used in the trafficking of controlled substances and over $100,000 in Canadian currency.

Ermias Yohannes, a 36-year-old resident of Ontario, has been charged with the following offences:

Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking x2
Possess Proceeds of Crime over $5000

Yohannes was brought before a Justice of the Peace and was remanded into custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 30, 2025 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.

“Red Deer RCMP remain committed to improving public safety and disrupting drug trafficking activities within our communities” said Cst. Andrew Devine, Red Deer RCMP GIS.

If you have information regarding this event or any other suspicious or illegal activity within the City of Red Deer, please contact Red Deer RCMP at 403-406-2200. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store. To report crime online, or for access to RCMP news and information, download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play.