AHS seeks quitting stories for Tarbox legacy book.

    Alberta Health Services (AHS) is asking for Albertans to share their stories of quitting tobacco to help inspire others to do the same through the Barb Tarbox Legacy Story Campaign.
    The campaign, which began earlier this summer, marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Tarbox, Canada’s renowned anti-tobacco activist.
    Albertans are encouraged to submit the story of their quest to live a tobacco-free life. Many of the stories will be chosen to be published in a new edition of Tarbox’s book Barb’s Miracle: How Barb Tarbox Transformed Her Deadly Cancer into a Lifesaving Crusade.
    “We want people to share their stories to inspire youth not to use tobacco and continue the legacy. One hundred will be selected to use in a new edition of her book and during the Barb Tarbox Awards in the fall. AHS may use them in some prevention activities,” said Martin McSween, an addictions counsellor with AHS.
    McSween hopes residents of the Drumheller, Three Hills, and Hanna areas will take the opportunity to share their stories. He feels rural Albertans have a unique perspective on tobacco use, especially concerning the use of chewing tobacco and cigarillos.
    “There are a lot of good stories from here. There are going to be stories from the urban areas, but it would be fun and interesting to have stories from our area,” said McSween. “Chew is significant out here. It would be wonderful to have that in there. Cigarillos have also been popular, too.”
    Tarbox, a resident of Edmonton, was a lifelong smoker who died in May 2003 from lung and brain cancer. She spent her final months travelling the country, speaking to youth about the dangers of tobacco, and contributing to Alberta’s tobacco reduction movement.
    McSween has offered to help any interested residents prepare their submissions.
    “We can offer that help. This awareness and keeping this campaign alive is a big thing for us,” said McSween.
    To learn more or submit, visit www.albertahealthservices.ca or www.albertaquits.ca.

Rambunxious Entertainment will be in the valley this September to film The Iron Loop, a World War II film set in North Africa.

    It appears this year there is a resurgence of movie making in the valley and as one production wraps, another is ramping up.
    Last week, the zombie flick Breakdown Lane wrapped up its time in Drumheller. This week, inSide Drumheller has learned a World War II drama called The Iron Loop is planning to shoot come this fall in the valley.
    The film is being produced by Rambunxious Entertainment, a collaborative effort  of three artists based in Calgary who are familiar to the valley.
    “We love it in Drumheller,” said Ryan Hatt. “This will be our third feature film. We filmed our first one, Hoodoo Voodoo, a sort of B-action film we wrote in 2009. We’re no strangers to the valley.”
    The company dubs their craft ‘guerilla filmmaking’ and after some success with Hoodoo Voodoo and a selection at the Action on International Film Festival, the company went on to film Battle Earth. It won three awards at the same festival and also garnered four more nominations, as well as wide distribution.
    The Iron Loop is also  a film steeped in action and conflict.
    “It is a film set in World War II, but you will also get to see our main character’s experience following the war as well, dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” said Hatt. “In a sense the war scenes are flashbacks, but it is the war scenes we’ll be shooting in Drumheller.”
    This movie will have a significantly different look than most World War II films which focus on either Europe or the Pacific Rim.
    “As there are tons of war films out there, one of the things we looked at was what are some of the things that haven’t been done yet, and you don’t see a lot of war films that deal with what happened in North Africa. Obviously, Drumheller isn’t North Africa, but it’s kind of close,” said Hatt.
    The production is scheduled to be in Drumheller this September and hitting the ground ready to go. The three principals of Rambunxious, Hatt, Aaron Kurmey and Kevin Johnson fill in a number of roles in the production from writing, behind the camera, to acting.
     “As a independent film company you sort of learn you have to have a business sense, because it is not all about grabbing a camera and heading to shoot anymore,” said Hatt. “None of us have really been a part of a major Hollywood production, but it is something the three of us want to do with our lives and pursue. So we concluded Hollywood isn’t going to come to us, we have to actually do it.”
    This year has seen a number of projects in the Valley. Breakdown Lane involved a number of locals in its zombie feature. The Cut, a German production were in Rowley this spring on a major feature production and North Country Cinema held local auditions for another possible project.
    “It seems like Alberta filmmakers are almost stumbling across Drumheller for the first time realizing just how great a locations it is. It is very unique and diverse,” Hatt said.