A young man is on a trek across Canada, and along the way is raising awareness and funds for diabetes.
    Jeff Laybolt is more than midway through the Great Walk About. He left Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on March 1 of this year and on Wednesday, November 13 he arrived in Drumheller. His journey is to raise awareness and funds for diabetes research. Many generations of his family have been affected by diabetes.
    The first leg of his journey he was partnered with Diabetes Canada and as of September 1, he announced he is now partnered with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which is a leader in research to end Type 1 Diabetes, serving young people and adults.
 While hiking across the country is a momentous challenge, the harsh climate of Canada hasn’t made it any easier. He has hiked through snowstorms, floods, heatwaves, and the howling prairie winds.
    Along the way, he is doing his part to get out and talk to communities. After Drumheller, he took a couple of days off the route to go to Edmonton where he is attending a couple of diabetes-related events. After that, he is back on the road.
    As tough as the first leg of his journey has been, crossing the  Rockies in the winter is another challenge he is preparing for. He hopes to reach Victoria in January, depending on conditions.
    Laybolt has set a goal of raising $10,000 on his journey and he has made good progress. To support his journey go to jdrfca.donordrive.com.

 
    A Drumheller man who came up the ranks at the Drumheller Institution has now been appointed Warden.
     In August, Tracey Farmer was appointed Warden. An official changing of the guard ceremony has yet to take place, but he is happy to be in the position.
    “Being born and raised in Drumheller I love being back and I really enjoy working at the Drumheller Institution with our fine team,” said Farmer.
     Farmer started his career in Drumheller as a Correctional Officer (CX1). He dedicated himself to the position and became involved as a member of the Institutional Emergency Response Team, and eventually became coordinator. His career continued as he became a CXIV, before taking on the role as assistant Warden of operations, Deputy and Acting Warden.
    In 2016, he left the Drumheller Institution when he was appointed Warden of the Bowden Institution.
    During his career, he has been awarded the Corrections Exemplary Medal and Bar.
    He says his mandate at the Drumheller Institution is the mandate of Corrections Canada.
    “Our mandate’s the Mission Statement of the Correctional Service of Canada, to prepare offenders to return back into society. Do what we can to assist them to become law-abiding citizens,” said Farmer. “It is all about public safety. We don’t want to make people worse when they come to prison, we want to make them better. When they come back they are going to live beside us in our communities so we want them to be healed, learn some trades, take some programming and fight their addictions.”
    He says the Institution is a reflection of what is happening in regular society.
    “Look at the opioid addictions and what it is doing to our people,” he said. “I was listening to a speaker, and they said it is the first time since they started charting life expectancy, that it has stalled, and they expect it to reverse because of the opioid deaths,” said Farmer. “Just like society, what is happening in our communities, ends up happening in our Institution.”
    His career has come full circle.
    “I get to finish my career where I started and I am really looking forward to working with the people of Drumheller,” said Farmer.