While most people were thinking of ways to impress their significant other during the Valentine’s Day weekend, Drumheller resident, Lucie Brouillard, was busy painting (near) naked bodies in Vegas.
    Using sponge and brush techniques, she spent 6 hours on both Saturday and Sunday painting her visions on two themes, first on “Around the World" and then “Evolution” on models at the first ever North America Body Painting Championship, where body painters from all over the world competed in two categories: Sponge/Brush and Airbrush.
    Using the “classic” style, industry term for sponge /brush painting, and her interpretation of the themes, she won  first prize, making it her 13th prize at top body painting competitions.
    Lucie fell into body painting by chance over 20 years ago.  
    Back from a year in Europe after getting her BA in Fine Arts in Quebec, where she originates from, Lucie was looking for a way to make a living. 
    As she had a keen interest in theatre makeup, a friend suggested she borrow her crayons and face paint at the Montreal Jazz Festival to earn herself some money. 
    The suggestion paid off.  Lucie then took her skills to Europe, where she lived in Holland for 10 years and face/body painted across Europe and the world, before returning to Canada and settling in Calgary. 
    Two and half years ago, she and her family decided to move to Drumheller to provide their children a safer environment  as well as for real estate opportunities.
    She now body and face paints at corporate events and teaches the art at conventions.
    In 2007, motivated by a desire to find out where she ranked “just for fun”, Lucie decided to enter the biggest championship she could find and tried out at the Seeboden World Championships in Austria.
        At this first attempt, she won third prize in the Body Painting Brush and Sponge category and 2nd place in Face-Painting. 
    Since then, Lucie has won many trophies in Canadian, American and World Body and Face Painting championships and is currently the World Face Painting Champion.
    What she found she liked about body painting 20 years ago is what still motivates her today: the people she works with.
    “You make them nice and it’s almost therapy for both, because you exchange good vibes. If I work a lot, say a busy day of 8 hours straight, my body will be very tired but not my mind, and my heart will be nice and happy because the experience has been good, you have been told that you are good, you make people feel good. I don’t think there’s a job that makes you feel nicer. All in all, it’s a nice circle of people, we all deal with very gentle people, it’s a small but nice community.”     

    If you weren’t able to take advantage of the Town of Drumheller’s toilet rebate program last year, it has returned.
    Last summer, the Town of Drumheller introduced the program where residents who purchase a new, higher efficiency toilet for their home, can apply for a rebate from the Town of Drumheller towards the purchase.
    There was a modest uptake of the program in 2009 with 44 residents getting a rebate. They have reintroduced the program for this year.
    The Town is offering $50 to homeowners who replace high flow toilets (13 litres or greater) with a six litre single flush toilet, and a $75 rebate if the owner purchases a dual flush toilet with an output of three litres and six litres.
    While the rebate is a great savings, it pales in comparison to the savings consumers can realize by buying a high efficiency toilet.
    Replacing just one, 20 litre toilet with an efficient six litre low flow toilet will save approximately 25,550 litres of water per person every year. This would also result in further savings on a Water and Sewer Utility Bill of approximately $66.54 per person every year. (Based on 2009 rates).
    Any resident, within the Town of Drumheller, who has a current utility account can apply for one rebate per household. Applications are available online at www.dinosaurvalley.com, or at Town Hall. The Town emphasizes a resident must be pre-approved before they purchase and install a qualifying toilet.  A list of qualifying toilets, approved by the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association performance standards is available at Town Hall or at www.dinosaurvalley.com.
     Applicants must attach the original receipt and photo to their application form and return to Town Hall no later than December 31, 2010.