Monday, March 5, 2012

That Magnificent Man And His Flying Machine At The Sheep River Library

Do you know what a Tiger Moth is? NO it's not an insect but it does fly.....


When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."
These words by John Ruskin, a Victorian era art critic, are very true when applied to one of our up-coming speakers at the library. Doug Robertson has demonstrated a great love and passion for flying throughout his life, starting in his teens. After High School Doug took a pilot's course in Ontario and from there went to fly for Lamb Air in Manitoba. He followed this by joining Pacific West Airlines, which became Canadian Airlines. He also did a stint in the Air Force as a Search and Rescue pilot. He returned to Canadian Airlines and stayed with it as it was absorbed into Air Canada now as a senior Captain on their international routes. Post-retirement the lure of flying drew him back from his ranch south of Black Diamond to train both cargo and charter pilots. However, once he finally retired from the skies he turned his attention to the passion that has been with him for over 20 years: restoring an original Tiger Moth aeroplane. Doug's journey with this aircraft began in 1981 when it was nothing more than a collection of pieces. While living in Edmonton he restored the tail section but not much more was done until the past 3 or 4 years when he had left the commercial world of flight for good. The time is now fast approaching when we may see this relic of the air grace our skies once again. The restoration process is almost complete and Doug is eager to share the journey he has taken to get this Tiger Moth back to its pristine state. Join him on Tuesday March 6th at 7pm as he gives a photographic presentation “Up, up and away!” at the library on the joys, dilemmas and triumphs he has experienced along the way.
Also in March we have a new artist exhibiting in our gallery room. Christi Tims has been practising art from a young age. She works with a variety of media; preferring oil, acrylic and pastel. Her subjects cover a wide range of topics, including off-road images, dance, figure studies, portraits and more. Christi's style is a blend of representational and personal expression. Her works are inspired by her own passions and life experience. Christi grew up in Peterborough, Ontario but has lived in Alberta for over 12 years. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Education from the University of Calgary. She currently works as a high school fine arts teacher who specializes in visual art and photography. She enjoys off-roading and camping with her husband, John, in her spare time.
Other happenings: Classic Movie Matinee (Tuesday, February 28th at 2pm). This month you can come and drool over a young James Dean in “East of Eden”. We begin out Travel Talk series on Tuesday March 13th with Sharon Chambers and Vivian Johnson sharing about their unique trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Book to Film continues on Friday, March 9th with a screening of “I am David”. Don't forget to check out our extensive list of permaculture classes that begin in March. All details are available on our website or in our brochure at the library. Big reminder: Mark March 24th for our Open House. Drop in from 11:30am to 3:00pm and you can be eligible to win some great door prizes such as a Kobo e-Reader or a Wii amongst many others. See you then!
Jan Burney

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