Cochrane Together - A Remembrance
While the Covid-19 Pandemic dominated our lives for over 2 years, the time to heal and reflect is now. We want to recognize the good and the bad that came from a challenging part of our most recent history. This mural artwork was chosen to represent Cochrane residents reaching out to one another during this difficult time, bringing out the best in people. We have a long history of being rooted together as one community as symbolized with our beloved Grandfather tree.
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Suzanne Goyetche
Finding peace in the outdoors away from the seclusion of our homes.
Utiliser le plein air pour trouver la paix et sortir de l’isolement de nos maisons.
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Carol Tapsay
Tree of Hearts' represents all the people in the community who had to band together to support others especially during the early days of the pandemic. Activettes, Helping Hands, churches, etc..
L’arbre des cœurs représente les membres de la communauté qui se sont serrés les coudes afin de s’appuyer mutuellement, surtout au début de la pandémie. Par example, les Activettes, Helping hands, les églises, etc…
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Chelsea Law
Painting titled: Heading to the Secret Spot
Story: During Covid my husband and son spent many days fishing, train watching and having picnics at their special spot at Gap Lake.
La peinture de Chelsea Law s’intitule: “En route pour notre endroit secret” L’histoire: pendant COVID, mon mari et mon fils ont passé plusieurs jours à pêcher, à regarder passer les trains et à piqueniquer à leur endroit secret à Gap Lake.
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Chris Spruyt
Lots of time was spent wandering and biking at the Cochrane Ranche pathways during Covid.
Il y a eu beaucoup de temps passé à flâner et à faire de la bicyclette sur les sentiers de Cochrane Ranche pendant la pandémie.
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This is from Miss Jenna
Her memory is of the painting classes we conducted on Zoom during the pandemic.
Ceci est de Miss Jenna. Son souvenir provient de la classe de peinture que nous avons offerte sur zoom pendant la pandémie.
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"During Covid, my daughter and I spent a lot of time going out to see the wild horses."
Pendant COVID, ma fille et moi sommes allés souvent observer les chevaux sauvages.
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Jessie Tapsay
We bought a trailer, adopted a dog, (Scout) and camped as often as we could.
Nous avons acheté une caravane, adopté un chien (Scout) et avons fait du camping aussi souvent que possible.
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Walk, connect, heal
My friend Sandy and I started meeting for walks not long after the pandemic started. It was a way to get out of the house, get some exercise, and maintain a social connection. But it became so much more: the fear of getting sick, along with the rules and restrictions made it so hard to feel like anything in our worlds was “normal.” We felt the closest to normal when we were walking: hearing the birds, watching the seasons change and sharing our feelings made all the difference in a truly difficult time. We got out as often as we could while things were restricted and have continued to this day. It was and still is more than a walk: it’s a way to feel safe and connected, no matter what else was going on.
Marcher, connecter, guérir,
Peu de temps après le début de la pandémie, mon amie Sandy et moi avons commencé à faire des marches ensembles. C’était notre façon de sortir de la maison, faire de l’exercice et maintenir nos rapports sociaux. Ça a pris un nouveau sens, car la peur de tomber malade, en plus des restrictions sanitaires ont fait en sorte que plus rien n’était “normal”. Nos marches nous rapprochaient du sentiment de normalité. Écouter le chant des oiseaux, regarder passer les saisons et échanger sur nos émotions ont fait toute la différence pendant cette période réellement difficile. Nous sommes allées prendre nos marches ensembles aussi souvent que possible pendant les restrictions et nous continuons encore aujourd’hui. Peu importe ce qui se passe ici ou ailleurs, nos marches étaient et sont encore une façon de nous sentir sécures et connectées.
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Linda Cranston
Communicating with my family in western Ukraine is what helped me cope with Covid. We had lost contact and reconnected during this time.
Le fait de communiquer avec ma famille dans l’Ukraine de l’ouest est ce qui m’a m’aidé à passer à travers la pandémie. Nous avons ainsi repris le contact que nous avions perdu.
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Sandy Johnson
"Staying connected despite the restrictions through walking and talking"
La marche et les conversations afin de rester connecter pendant les restrictions.
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Anwyn Bell
Did yoga during Covid. And I still do it.
Je me suis mise au yoga pendant COVID et je continue d’en faire.
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Miss Krista Olenick
covid memory is doing jigsaw puzzles, and this particular painting is also a memory of boating with her family on Ghost Lake
Mes souvenirs de COVID sont de faire des casse-têtes et cette peinture est également le souvenir de faire du bateau sur le lac Ghost.
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Marina Chabbert
During Covid, street were empty, it was such an eary feeling. People were told to stay home and all activities were cancelled leaving us with nowhere to go.
Pendant COVID les routes étaient déserte et cela donnait une impression inquiétante. On nous disait de rester à la maison et toutes les activités étaient annulées. On ne pouvait aller nulle part.
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Mia Clayton
Blue and Gold Mackaw
My love of birds helped me through the pandemic.
Ma passion pour l’observation des oiseaux m’a soutenu pendant la pandémie.
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Susan Long
"Our family spent a lot of time together during the pandemic - it was all about family"
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The Cochrane Cruise-In that circulated throughout the nearby senior care home facilities.
Amber Hall
Le transport « Cochrane Cruise-In » qui circule d’une résidences pour personnes âgées à une autre.
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Charlotta was only a few weeks old when war broke out in Ukraine. As the fighting approached Kiev she, along with her mother, farther and grandmother, went to the underground metro station for safety. It was not the childhood that Ivana and Anton had pictured for their baby. When it became obvious that this was not going to be a short battle, they began reaching out for a place to go. It wasn’t long before a couple of Canadians with big hearts opened their home to them. Soon grandma, mother and child were on their way to Alberta and to a new life.
They were introduced to so many welcoming people in Cochrane, when a friend took them out for their first Canada Day. After COVID and war, it was a wonderful moment seeing so many people, dressed in their red and white, celebrating being in such a free and welcoming country. Charlotta was in awe meeting the baby animals at the petting zoo, Natalia (grandma) enjoyed seeing the dancing and hearing the music, and Ivanna (mom) was so surprised and pleased to be asked to say something to the community and to get to thank them for what they were doing to help both Ukrainians and Ukraine.
While we sat on a blanket watching the entertainment, Charlotta grabbed my phone and took this selfie. It was like she wanted to have a permanent memory of her great day in Cochrane!
Thank you,
Lynda Purdy
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Giving back to our community is a topic we really focussed on throughout the pandemic and have kept it going. This year my kids decided to do '12 Days of Giving'
Please enjoy the video
Pendant la pandémie, nous avons voulu redonner à notre communauté et nous avons continué depuis. Cette année, mes enfants ont décidé de participer à l'activité "12 Days of Giving".
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Charlie Crittenden
Hand sanitizer and soap was a regular routine during covid
Les désinfectants pour les mains et le savon ont fait partie de notre routine pendant COVID.
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Matina Chabbert
Covid made me appreciate our beautiful outdoors and specifically our hiking trails.
A passion I am still pursuing every chance I get.
COVID m’a permis d’apprécier la beauté de la nature, le plaisir d’être dehors et de profiter des sentiers de randonnées. Je continue d’en profiter à chaque occasion.
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During the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, my family and I started birding since we were stuck at home a lot. I decided to develop my photography skills and one of the first amazing birds I was able to photograph was this Great Horned Owl. She was sitting in a tree at the Cochrane Ranche, and just above were her two chicks. She was eyeing everyone who walked below, and the chicks were focusing on stretching their wings. It was quite incredible to see these beautiful birds right here in town, and it started my bird photography journey. Since then, my family and I have become quite the birders, and I think my children have a greater appreciation for nature because of it.
Mika Pratt
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Marina Chabbert
Hoarding due to isolation requirement was done in levels never seen. Toilet paper was one example along with so many others.
L’isolation a fait que les gens se sont mis à amasser des choses à un niveau jamais vu. Le papier hygiénique par exemple et beaucoup d’autres.
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During the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, my family and I started birding since we weren't able to travel very far away. We went for many walks near our house, and discovered a lot of the wetlands around Cochrane contained some amazing shore birds. This photo is of a killdeer, taken at one of the wetland ponds near Fireside. This pond often contains sandpipers, various ducks, and sometimes even a great blue heron. The killdeer are quite small and easy to miss, so I felt very lucky we were able to spot one.
Mika Pratt
Au début de la pandémie COVID 19, puisque nous ne pouvions pas voyager, nous nous sommes mis à observer les oiseaux. Nous avons fait de nombreuses marches dans notre quartier et avons découvert que Cochrane regorge de magnifiques milieux humides qui servent d’habitat à de nombreux oiseaux de rivage. Cette photo, prise à l’étang de Fireside, est celle d’un pluvier kildir. On y voit parfois des bécasseaux, des canards et même le magnifique héron bleu. Le pluvier kildir est de petite taille, difficile à repérer, c’est une chance d’avoir pu l’observer.
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Simone and Reagan
done by myself and my 6 year old granddaughter Reagan.
They represent all of our outdoor and camping adventures that we had during COVID.
Simone Cameron
Intitulés Simone et Reagan, la représentation faite par moi et ma petite-fille Reagan âgée de 6 ans, quand nous avons fait du camping et passé du temps en plein air durant COVID.
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Cochrane's very own local BADGER, living right in the Fireside community on a local farm field. This badger was hard to work all summer long digging his tunnel system, guarding his den, and fighting off coyotes, who thought he looked like a good meal.
Amber Hall
Cochrane a son propre blaireau et il habite dans la communauté de Fireside juste dans un champ adjacent. Ce blaireau a travaillé fort à construire son système de tunnels, à protéger sa tanière et à se protéger des coyotes qui l’auraient bien attrapé pour se faire un bon repas. Amber Hall
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Liam is my 6 year old son and myself, his dad and his great-grandad (passed away 4 months ago), talk with him a lot about world events during the Covid pandemic, including the war in Ukraine. We’ve explained that some kids have to put what little they can take into backpacks and leave their homes…many saying goodbye to their dads who will stay and fight for their country. Liam’s great-grandfather was a WWII Veteran who joined the war at just 16 years old and he’s told Liam that he is never too young to make a difference. (Liam’s great-grandad was 95 years old, but despite the 90+ year age gap, their relationship was so honest and pure.) Liam pondered for days about what he could do to help and then he asked me how do his great-grandfather’s friends in the Veteran’s biker club (Veterans Brotherhood Canada) make the buttons that they wear on their biker vests. I explained the process and the machine needed and then he rushed to his bedroom to grab his cashbox to see if he had enough saved to buy a button press machine and supplies…and he did!!! So we purchased the machine and supplies, and then we designed the image together by taking a photo of his little hand making a peace sign and adding the wording, ‘Peace For Ukraine’ with Ukraine’s blue & yellow colors.
Liam had a goal of raising $500 for the Red Cross in Ukraine but has well surpassed that with a total to date of $3,012 (he made and sold over 1,000 buttons, selling each button for $3 each with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Red Cross in Ukraine). His ‘Peace For Ukraine’ buttons have also been sent to many people including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Joe Biden, Queen Elizabeth II (before she passed), Arnold Schwarzenegger & Elon Musk!
Liam’s school also nominated him for the Alberta ‘Great Kids Award’ based on the Christmas Breakfast Kits he put together for people in need and the funds that he has raised through his button sales for Ukraine and he won this prestigious government award!
Recently, Liam’s buttons have even been worn in the Canadian Legislature!
Liam has been in our local newspaper many times and has been on the television news and says as long as Ukraine is still fighting for their freedom, he will continue to make and sell buttons to help them! During the pandemic, Liam found a way to people help across the world from our little town of Cochrane and I am so proud of him!
video link of Liam making the buttons
Liam, mon fils de 6 ans, son père et moi ainsi que son arrière-grand-père (décédé il y a 4 mois) avons souvent discuté des évènements du monde pendant la pandémie, entre autre de la guerre en Ukraine. Nous lui avons expliqué que des enfants devaient prendre leur sac à dos et quitter leur maison, plusieurs devaient dire adieu à leur père qui devait rester et se battre pour leur pays. L'arrière-grand-père de Liam était un vétéran de la deuxième guerre mondiale et il n'avait que 16 ans quand il a joint l'armée. Il a dit à Liam qu'il n'était pas trop jeune pour faire une différence. L'arrière-grand-père avait 95 ans et malgré la différence d'âge de presque 90 ans, leur relation était honnête et personnelle. Pendant des jours, Liam s'est demandé comment il pourrait aider, puis il a demandé aux amis de son arrière-grand-père, qui sont des vétérans membres de l'organisme "Veterans Brotherhood Canada", comment est-ce qu'ils fabriquent les boutons qu'ils portent sur leur veste de motard. Je lui ai expliqué le procédé et les machines nécessaires puis il a couru à sa chambre pour voir s'il avait assez d'argent dans sa tirelire afin d’acheter la machine à imprimer et le matériel… et il l’a fait !! Nous avons donc acheté la machine et le matériel puis nous avons créé une image ensemble en prenant une photo de sa petite main faisant le signe de la paix et nous avons ajouté les mots « paix pour Ukraine « avec les couleurs bleu et jaune.
Liam avait comme but de ramasser $500 pour La Croix-Rouge de l’Ukraine mais il l’a de beaucoup surpassé avec un total à ce jour de $3012 (il a fabriqué plus de 1000 boutons qu’il a vendu $3 chacun avec 100% des profits donnés à la Croix-Rouge pour l’Ukraine). Ses boutons «Paix pour Ukraine» ont été envoyé à plusieurs personnalités dont le premier ministre Justin Trudeau, le président Joe Biden, la reine Elizabeth II, du temps de son vivant, Arnold Schwarzenegger et Elon Musk.
L’école de Liam l’a désigné pour le prix albertain « Great Kids Award” pour sa participation à “Christmas Breakfast Kit » et pour la levée de fonds grâce à la vente de ses boutons pour Ukraine. Il a remporté ce prestigieux prix provincial.
Récemment, les boutons de Liam ont même été portés à l’assemblée nationale canadienne.
Liam a paru plusieurs fois dans les journaux locaux et il a annoncé lors d’une entrevue pendant les nouvelles à la télévision que tant que l’Ukraine se bat pour sa liberté, il va continuer à faire des boutons et à les vendre pour les aider. Pendant la pandémie, Liam a trouvé un moyen d’aider des gens à travers le monde à partir de notre petite ville de Cochrane et je suis si fière de lui.
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A sad sight indeed, seniors were affected the most during COVID. Watching the world go by from a window was all too common. CAES brought entertainment to their windows in an effort to raise their spirits.
Ce fut si triste de voir à quel point les personnes âgées ont été affectées pendant COVID. Regarder le monde derrière une fenêtre était leur réalité. CAES a apporté du divertissement à leur fenêtre afin de leur remonter le moral.
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Nature at its best in Cochrane
La nature à son meilleur à Cochrane
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During the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, my family and I started birding since we were stuck at home a lot. I decided to develop my photography skills and one of the first amazing birds I was able to photograph was this Great Horned Owl. She was sitting in a tree at the Cochrane Ranche, and just above were her two chicks. She was eyeing everyone who walked below, and the chicks were focusing on stretching their wings. It was quite incredible to see these beautiful birds right here in town, and it started my bird photography journey. Since then, my family and I have become quite the birders, and I think my children have a greater appreciation for nature because of it.
Mika Pratt
Au début de la pandémie, ma famille et moi avons vaincu le sentiment de confinement en allant observer les oiseaux. J’ai décidé de développé mes talents de photographe et j’ai réussi à photographier le majestueux Grand-Duc. La femelle était perchée dans un arbre à Cochrane Ranche et juste au-dessus d’elle se trouvaient ses deux oisillons.
Alerte, elle gardait un œil sur les personnes qui passaient tout près pendant que ses jeunes ducs étendaient leurs ailes. Quelle expérience incroyable que d’observer ces magnifiques oiseaux en pleine ville et c’est ce qui m’a lancé dans la photographie d’oiseaux. Depuis ce temps, ma famille et moi sommes devenus de véritables amateurs de l’observation des oiseaux et je crois que, grâce à cela, mes enfants ont développé une plus grande appréciation de la nature.
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Celebrations for 2019 Canada Day looked very different. We were unable to gather in large crowds due to the COVID pandemic. In an effort to provide some type of “safe” entertainment, CAES brought the celebration to the streets. We had community Parades for Canada Day and it involved a whole bunch of Jeeps as well as Superheros for the little ones.
Cochrane and Area Events Society
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Samantha Nickerson
The people of Alberta started enjoying their own backyards.
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The story behind this picture:
I contracted Covid a few weeks before my daughter’s wedding. I was still very weak and tired, and the drive to Edmonton seemed daunting, so a friend offered to drive me to the wedding so that I didn’t miss it. What really touched me about the whole experience was the number of people who came up to my friend at the wedding and thanked her for getting me there. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for these friends of my daughter and son in law (some of whom I hadn’t met before) who made a point of thanking her. It was a beautiful moment in a beautiful day.
Thanks,
Erika Richards
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Jennifer Jackson
Having 3 young kids at home, my son Liam and twin daughters, Paige & Quinn, I wanted to still bring fun, excitement and imagination into their lives while isolating at home to reduce the risk of getting Covid.
One of our super fun days was when we dressed up and pretended we were characters from the Toy Story movie all day!
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Theodore Nickerson
I always loved the forest and felt safe and peaceful there, and I used to have a job as a landscaper during summer 2021. I got to hang out in the old yards with big trees and it was so much fun, very relaxing. I got my passion for plants as well as painting plants during that year.
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Does it get any happier than a sunflower!? Finding sunflowers blossoming around town always puts a smile on my face and sparks a conversation with the gardener. There is just something so captivating about sunflowers, especially when they are pollinator attractors. Captured in this image is a bumblebee extracting pollen.
Amber Hall
Y-a-t ‘il une meilleure représentation de bonheur que l’image d’un tournesol? Je ne peux m’empêcher de sourire à chaque fois que je trouve un tournesol dans toute sa splendeur dans un jardin de Cochrane. De plus, c’est une belle occasion de commencer une conversation avec le jardinier. Les tournesols sont captivants sans oublier qu’ils servent à attirer les pollinisateurs. Cette image capture un bourdon en train d’extraire du pollen. Amber Hall
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I collect rocks around Cochrane on my walks and paint them. They are then returned to their original place to provide a smile for all who see them.
Je collecte des cailloux quand je prends des marches tout autour de Cochrane et je les peins. Ensuite, je les remets à l'endroit où je les ai trouvés afin de faire sourire les personnes qui les verront.
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Wendy Walker
“The most beautiful part of my garden is when these stunning irises appear each year and bloom in early summer. They remind me that being together as a community continues on through our many friendships and connections.”
La plus belle partie de mon jardin apparait avec l'arrivée des iris et leur floraison tôt l'été. Elles me rappellent que tous ensembles nous formons une communauté grâce à nos amitiés et à nos connexions.
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God writes straight in crooked lines.
Dieu écrit droit avec des lignes courbes
In that strange time of isolation and uncertainty, where life became a constant frustration and sadness due to fear of the unknown, and due to the pain of so many goodbyes drowned in absence, a new form of spiritual communication was opened in the distance through prayer. And as soon as the spiritual life grew, the heart felt connected to the whole world... a light of hope began to shine.
For me, this time of pain was also a time of growth in my soul, and a deeper relationship with God. And in the Lord, I was able to live the 2020 quarantine, the time of Covid, with joy and gratitude.
Faith and Hope rooted in Jesus help us to live Love in new ways, and despite suffering, life can be lived with joy and gratitude.
Maria Cecilia Arango M.
Cette période étrange d'isolement et d'incertitude, quand la vie est devenue constamment frustrante et triste à cause de la peur de l'inconnu et à cause de la douleur due aux nombreux adieux assourdis par l'absence, une nouvelle forme de communication spirituelle s'est dévoilée dans la distance grâce à la prière. Dès que la vie spirituelle a grandi, le cœur s'est senti connecté au monde entier... une lumière d'espoir a commencé à briller. Pour moi, cette période douloureuse fut aussi une période de croissance dans l’âme et une relation encore plus profonde avec Dieu.
Dans le Seigneur, je pouvais vivre la quarantaine de 2020, pendant COVID, avec joie et reconnaissance. La foi et l'espoir ancrés dans Jésus nous aide à vivre l'amour de nouvelle façon et malgré la souffrance, la vie peut être vécue avec joie et reconnaissance.
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David Forbes
Cochrane has a special place in my heart because of the people. More than 20 years ago I started a journey in Cochrane that took me well beyond anything I had ever thought about. Through Nora Schmidt and Warren Harbeck, I met members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and my eyes were opened to people who are a vital part of the Cochrane community. This green 'medicine wheel' I created for the mural, is a reminder that we can all learn a little more about our neighbours and find true balance in our lives
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Carol Tapsay
The first few weeks we would have happy hour every Friday night with a theme for the drinks complete with costumes.
Pendant les premiers week-ends de la pandémie nous prenions l’apéro chaque vendredi soir tout en se costumant selon un thème choisi.
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Cindy Wylde
Family time was so important during Covid and it brought our family together.
Passer du temps en famille était si important pendant COVID et la pandémie nous a rapprochés.
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Doug Grant
"Your blessings can be new every morning. You just have to look for the light in the darkness."
Vos cadeaux du ciel se renouvellent chaque jour vous n’avez qu’à chercher la lumière dans les ténèbres.
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E Hudson
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Joy West-Eklund
Registered midlife, this picture represents tree of life, love and the moon represents femininity and resilience.
Sage femme certifiée, cette image représente l’arbre de la vie, l’amour et la lune représente la féminité et la résilience.
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Monica Batek
I chose to paint Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) as they are the first flowers to grace my garden in the spring and bring me hope after a long winter. They are tiny but resilient and remind me of my own journey using gardening to heal from ptsd from my military service and from domestic violence.
J’ai choisi de peindre les hyacinthes Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) car elles sont les premières fleurs du printemps à fleurir dans mon jardin. Elles portent en elles l’espoir après un long hiver. Si petites et si résilientes, elles me rappellent mon propre cheminement alors que le jardinage m’a aidé à me guérir de mes symptômes de stress post somatique suite à mon service militaire et suite à mon expérience de violence domestique.
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Simone and Reagan
done by myself and my 6 year old granddaughter Reagan.
They represent all of our outdoor and camping adventures that we had during COVID.
Simone Cameron
Fait par moi-même et Reagan, ma petite-fille âgée de 6 ans. Ils représentent toutes les aventures de camping et de plein air que nous avons eu pendant COVID.
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Erika Richards
"We weren't allowed to sing in public so we would go out on the lakes in our kayaks and sing at the top of our lungs. It felt wonderful and free."
Nous ne pouvions pas chanter en public alors nous allions sur le lac et dans nos kayaks, nous chantions à tue-tête. C’était une expérience merveilleuse et libératrice.
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This ended up being one of my favorite Sunday morning pastimes during the pandemic, I'd get in my car, with my camera, dog, and a packed lunch, drive around town or outside of the community, and photograph things that caught my eye, from a safe distance. These cows belong to a local farmer here along highway 22 in Cochrane.
Amber Hall
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A young girl decided to try her hand at making macaroons here in Cochrane, her mom helped her to put some Facebook posts on local community groups to advertise these delicious macaroons. In an effort to support a local, young, entrepreneurial spirit, I ordered a few boxes and porch-dropped them at friends' houses around town as a way to say I'm thinking of you.
Amber Hall
Une jeune fille a commencé à confectionner des macarons. Sa mère lui a aidé à vendre ses délicieux macarons en postant l’information dans un groupe communautaire sur Facebook. Par désir d’encourager l’esprit d’entrepreneur de cette jeune fille, j’en ai commandé quelques boîtes, puis je les ai déposées à la porte d’amis à Cochrane afin de leur laisser savoir que je pensais à eux.
