OCTOBER 2026 WCRTA COMMUNICATION
Reminder to save Monday, November 30 on your calendars for the 2026 WOLF CREEK RETIRED TEACHERS Christmas Luncheon.
Watch for details and RSVP information in early November. Bob Ronnie Catering will be supplying the turkey dinner.
There will be a short program and presentations before the lunch.
Following the lunch, we will be entertained by an ensemble from the Lacombe Community Concert Band.
We will be having our annual fundraiser for the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Charitable Foundation.
Our WCRTA branch held its Welcome to Retirement/To Hell With the Bell Brunch on Aug. 24, 2026 with 78 in attendance. This event also functioned as our AGM. The current executive was re-elected for the 2026-2027 year.
- President – Frank Tschabold
- Vice President – Rob Pearn
- Past President – Juanita Knight
- Treasurer – Devin Pfahl
- Secretary – Barb Leidl
Tribute was paid to the following colleagues and spouses that passed away in the past year:
Joyce Anne Lemke (Scott), Thorald “Dutch” Burnham, Marian Martha Hiebert (Renwick), Wendalyne Helen Humphreys (Johnson), Ralph Mackay Scarlett, Eleanor Frances Hutchinson (Holman), Glenda Beverly Johnson, Wendy Frances Elofson (Moore), Gord Cheney, Donald Ironside, Ervan Edmond Stobbe, Jean Elizabeth Rose (Goodwin), Melvin Richard “Dick” Morris, Laura “Joan” Lawson
As part of the program for this event, we had greetings from ARTA President Ray Hoger, a presentation from ARTA’s insurance partner, Laurie Bauer, on vehicle insurance changes coming to Alberta, and a presentation on ARTA Perks, Membership Advantages, and Virtual Care from ARTA staff Amanda Shaw and Jennifer Hope.
We congratulated WCRTA member Estelle Elofson on her 100th birthday.
New retirees: Maryann Armitage, Kelly Shimp, Scott Shimp, Shelly Treleaven, Dayna Wittal, Laura Witvoet, Lisa Otto, Sonja Dykslag, Marie Kiist, and Vicky Sahlin were welcomed to retirement and their branch. We look forward to welcoming more new retirees at upcoming events.
Lawrence Hrycan was congratulated on his election as president of the national retired teachers’ organization ACER-CART.
Annual ARTA benefit plan changes have been communicated to plan members and take effect Nov. 1. Also communicated were the consequences of Bill 11 by the Alberta government on private insurance plans like ours and the actions being taken by ARTA to mitigate these consequences. We thank ARTA for the ongoing active advocacy role on our behalf, and we are encouraged as individuals to advocate as well. Our provincial government is providing lots of opportunities for us to advocate on a variety of issues involving seniors, public education, healthcare, and more.
We are grateful to ARTA for the annual branch subsidy grant. This grant is based on the number of branch members that are also ARTA members. It has made it so much easier for us to run our events and other activities. Our branch activity fee for membership is only $5 a year, or better yet $20 for five years. This can be paid at any WCRTA event you attend or go on our branch website, which is hosted on the ARTA website, and fill out the form and mail a cheque. www.artabranches.net/wcrta/ In addition to retired teachers, all ARTA associate members and retired education sector employees are encouraged and welcome to be part of our branch. Spouses/partners or an accompanying friend or family member are always welcome at our events.
Check out the pictures, branch history and other information our website. A reminder that if you have turned 85 to let us know so that we can recognize you with a life membership if we have not already done so.
The ARTA AGM was held on Oct. 6 and 7 in Edmonton. Your WCRTA delegates were Doug Gill, Karen Klassen, Lawrence Hrycan, and Frank Tschabold as well as Rob Pearn in his ARTA committee role. Watch soon for ARTA’s release of its white paper titled No Place Like Home – The Importance of Aging in the Right Place.
At the November ARTA board meeting there will be an election for directors for the Alberta Retired Teachers Charitable Foundation. If this opportunity is something that you are interested in let us know so that a nomination package can be forwarded to you.
