Facility Enhancement ALERT!

It's really happening!  As of January 1, 2010 the aquatic portion of the tent will be closing in preparation for the facility enhancement project.  This means that the 50m competition pool, teach pool, dive tank, 6-person whirlpool and steam room will not be available in 2010.  For safety reasons, access onto the pooldeck from the Family Caregiver and Executive Locker Rooms will also be closed.

To access the 50m training pool and 20-person hot tub, please use the walkway that has been constructed for your safety.

Construction ALERT for Saturday, January 2, 2010

The construction crew will be installing the tarp to separate the aquatic side from the dryland side of the tent.

The North Entrance will be closed at 7pm on Saturday, January 2, 2010 and will re-open to the public the next day.  Please use the South Entrance after 7pm.

Customers will be asked to enter the activity concourse via the back gate at the main Customer Service Desk.

Thank you for your understanding as we prepare for our exciting renovation!

Constuction Alert

The construction crew is prepping the facility for renovation.

The main track will be closed as of 8:15pm.

The North Entrance will be closed at 9pm tonight and will re-open to the public the next day.

Please use the South Entrance after 9pm tonight.

Thank you.

Cynthia Watson — Marketing/Communications

Class Cancellation: TC Masters

TC Masters ( course # 34393) From January – July  is canceled due to low registration for 2010. We regret any inconvenience this may cause!

Drop-in over the Holidays!

Be sure to check out our drop-in group fitness page for the revised holiday schedule, or click on the relevant week below:

• Dec. 20 – Dec. 26
• Dec. 27 – Jan. 2
• Jan. 3 – Jan. 9

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Please note that Group Power drop-in classes have recently been added to the following dates:

• Monday at 6:30pm: December 21, 28, and January 4
• Tuesday at 12noon: December 22, 29, and January 5
• Wednesday at 6:30pm: December 23, 30, and January 6
• Saturday at 10:15am: December 26, and January 7

Holiday Hours and Early Closures!

Please note the upcoming holiday hours and early closures for the season:


CHRISTMAS EVE – Thursday, December 24 – 5:00am to 5:00pm
CHRISTMAS DAY – Friday, December 25 – Closed for statutory holiday
BOXING DAY – Saturday, December 26 – 7:00am to 10:00pm (Stat holiday hours)
NEW YEAR'S EVE – Thursday, December 31 – 5:00am to 5:00pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY – Friday, January 1 – 7:00am to 10:00pm (Stat holiday hours)

Walk around, not through!

You will start seeing signs of our 2010 construction around the building, (even though it's still technically 2009). Now, this is just common sense, but we thought we'd remind everyone that if you see barricades or yellow caution tape around Talisman Centre, please stay out of that area for your own safety. Walk around, not through! Thanks!!

Construction Update! This week! Excitement!

It's all really happening! This whole "roof" thing we've been hearing about for the past year (or two...) is not just some feverish dream, or figment of your imagination. Not only is it happening, it's ramping up this week! (Click that "2010" tab at the top of the screen if you're confused.)

Thursday, December 16th: Plywood hoarding walls will go up in order to separate the construction zone from the public. This will keep everyone safe once the construction phase really gets rolling on the Aquatic side around January 4th.

Friday, December 18th: The stairs that will eventually lead from the Foundation Lounge to the Training Pool deck will be built. By Monday (or so) the stairs should be done! Can you believe it?

Monday, December 21st: Scaffolded walkways will begin to be constructed starting at the concourse level, including a walkway into the Foundation Lounge. How will this affect your access to the Café Santé, and more importantly, coffee? Don't panic! The Café will still be accessible, and your precious, precious coffee will just move over to the north side of the Café. Phew!

The next step will be to create those scaffolded walkways leading from the locker rooms to the Training Pool. (It's going to wind in behind the Teach Pool.) Note: This will mean the closure of the 6-person hot tub at some point. Stay tuned for the date!

Talisman Centre helps "Toys 4 Teens"

Talisman Centre recently used an employee team-building event as an opportunity to give back to the community. Jack FM has the full story on their blog: http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/toys4teens/2009/12/09/10-bikes-from-talisman-centre/

One Million Dollar Day

You all know that Talisman Centre is getting a new roof system in 2010 (right?). Well, today it was announced that we have funding to complete some other much-needed improvements as well! (Hello, new locker rooms!)

Lee Richardson, Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, was at Talisman Centre today to announce that Talisman Centre would receive some federal funding towards the facility enhancement project, under the the Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) program, a major job-creating investment from Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

The Lindsay Park Sports Society will receive total RInC funding of $1,000,000 to modernize Talisman Centre via renovations that include mechanical, electrical and lighting systems and upgraded locker rooms, weight-room floor and the sound system.

Robin Mitchell, President and Chief Operating Officer of Talisman Centre expressed his gratitude for the funding. “Talisman Centre is about to embark on a year-long multi-million dollar facility enhancement project that will see the replacement of the existing roof system with a new roof that will be much more energy efficient. Because of this funding, we are now able to complete other enhancements, including the much-needed renovation of our locker rooms. We’re really excited about the opportunities this funding has given us, and we couldn’t be more grateful. By the end of this construction project, Talisman Centre will truly be among the best sports facilities in North America.”

Talisman Centre has wanted to upgrade the locker rooms, lighting, flooring, etc. for some time. We're excited that we now have the means and the opportunity to make these upgrades, and have them ready for 2011!

Talisman Centre athlete on a cereal box!

If Joshua Riker-Fox looks familiar to you, it might be because you saw him compete in the pentathlon in the last Olympic games, or it could be because you've seen him in the cereal aisle at your grocery store. General Mills, maker of Cheerios cereal, has put Joshua's face on boxes of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios as part of the company's Aspiring Olympians program. The program supports both 2010 and 2012 Olympic Team hopefuls, of which Joshua is one.

"I feel very fortunate to be a part of this team," says Joshua, "I grew up on Cheerios so the connection to the brand is significant."

Even though Joshua is featured on the Apple Cinnamon box, you can give him your support by buying any of General Mills' cereals with the "Aspiring Olympian" branding. Inside each box, you can find a code to enter into the Aspiring Olympian website – each code means between $1 and $5 going toward the selected athlete. (The $5 donation comes from a code found inside "Gold Edition" Cheerios boxes.)

"This support will help me significantly as I work towards a second Olympic qualification - London 2012," says Joshua. Joshua trains throughout the week at Talisman Centre, and swims with the Calgary Patriots, one of Talisman Centre's valued Sport Partners. If you see him around Talisman Centre, be sure to wish him luck, and next time you're at the grocery store, take a look for him in the cereal aisle!

General Mills' Aspiring Athletes Website: http://www.generalmillsathletes.ca



(Photo Credit: Gerry Young, 2009)

Fitness Centre ch-ch-ch changes...

With 2010 getting closer every day, the signs of construction outside our building will increase, and changes inside will likewise become more noticeable. Here are some recent changes in the Fitness Centre; if you can't find your favourite piece of equipment, that might be because it's been relocated!

Moved from the Mezzanine to the main floor of the Fitness Centre (Fit Zone)
 - The cardio equipment is now on the lower level by the windows.

Moved to a new location on the main floor of the Fitness Centre (Fit Zone)
 - The equalizer (the adapted weight machine) is now by the elevator.
 - The cable machine that was in the corner of the fitness centre by the mechanical room is now by the profile room.
 - The free weights are now back by the mechanical room.
 - The ab benches are now by the stretching area.

Moved from the main floor of the Fitness Centre (Fit Zone) to the WTZ (beside gym 1)
 - The wood stairs.

There are more changes to come in the Fitness Centre, too. Equipment will continue to move over the next month as we get everything in place for January. Specifically we still need to move some equipment from the floor by the new fitness centre desk (plate loaded machines, heavier free weights, squat racks, etc) to the main floor in the Fit Zone as well as some of the equipment in the Fit Zone to the area by the new fitness centre desk. We also will be moving the cardio equipment that is beside the current emergency exit (beside the profile room) away from that area in the weeks to come.

So if you can't find what you're looking for, just ask a friendly employee, and they will be happy to orient you. In the meantime, take a look at our 2010 page for all the details about Talisman Centre in 2010.

Don't fence me in!

You may have noticed that Talisman Centre's parking lot has some fencing in it, blocking off several rows of parking. This is the first real sign that yes, we'll be undergoing a major construction project in 2010! (If you've missed the details, you can catch up on our 2010 page.)

The fencing will be reduced tomorrow, (December 9th). Please be aware that the North entrance is still accessbile (even if the fencing makes it look like it isn't.  You just need to walk around the fenced area!)

There will be mores signs of construction as we move forward, so don't be alarmed! It just means we're that much closer to our new-and-improved roof system! We apologize for any inconvenience, and encourage you to familiarize yourself with how this project may affect you, at www.talismancentre.com/2010!

Remembrance Day - Holiday Hours at Talisman Centre

On Wednesday, November 11th, (Remembrance Day), holiday hours will be in effect and Talisman Centre's hours will be 7:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. 

Partner Exchange Program in effect this weekend (Nov. 7 and 8, 2009)

The Cascade Slingshot Speed Meet will be taking place this weekend at Talisman Centre, and our members who so choose are welcome to take advantage of our Partner Exchange Program on those days: Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th.

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What is the Partner Exchange Program?
Parking, locker room space, public gym and pool space will be at a premium during some events. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the Partner Exchange Program when in effect.

The Partner Exchange Program is for MEMBERS ONLY.
As a value added to your experience as a member, don't forget to pick up your pass during designated Partner Exchange Program times to workout at the following facilities:

• CARDEL PLACE
• YMCA OF CALGARY
• VILLAGE SQUARE LEISURE CENTRE

Hallowe'en Costume Photo Contest!

Boo!! And Happy Hallowe'en from Talisman Centre! Bring a photo of yourself in costume to our customer service desk, and you could win a special "spooky" Talisman Centre prize package! See a customer service representative for more details...

Welcome Synchro Canada!

From Wednesday, October 28th to Friday, October 30th, Talisman Centre is proud to host the Canadian National Synchro team. During their stay here, the swimmers will be training while the coaches will attend a coaches summit.

The culmination of the three-day event will be a live performance, the "Evening of Stars Water Show" on Friday night! Tickets may be purchased at the door at a cost of $10.00 for adults & $6.00 for children. The show begins at 7:00pm and will finish between 9:00pm – 9:30pm. For more information, call Christine Hampshire at (403) 243-7599.

After the show, National Team athletes will be doing a meet & greet with guests, autographing t-shirts which will be available to purchase. MC's for the evening will be Cari Read and Grant Pollock.

Hope to see you there!

Flu season!

It's flu season time again, and Talisman Centre would like to suggest some basic precautions, particularly when there is public concern regarding the H1N1 virus. Here are some precautions everyone can take:

Precautions:

• Avoid anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers; there are sanitizing stations located throughout Talisman Centre; if you can't find one, ask an employee.
• Use a tissue, (or your sleeve) to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Not your hand!
• Wipe down your work-out equipment after every use, using the nearby spray bottles and towels provided.
• If your child is exhibiting flu-like symptoms, please do not bring them to Talisman Centre's childcare.
• If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, please stay at home, avoid public areas, and contact your health care provider. 

In particular, you may wish to seek medical care if your flu-like symptoms are accompanied by a fever that continues longer than three days, or are experiencing difficulty breathing/shortness of breath. You should familiarize yourself with other possible H1N1 symptoms as well.

Thank you, and have a happy, healthy workout!

National Junior Team Swim Camp at Talisman Centre

Talisman Centre is proud to be hosting the Canadian National Junior Team Swimming Camp, starting today (October 19th) through to the 25th. The camp will focus on improving skills in areas like mid-distance freestyle swimming. Among others, there are several swimmers in attendance from the Cascade Swim Club (one of Talisman Centre's valued Sport Partners), as well as Alex Gabor, a National Junior Team swimmer who was a finalist in this year's World Championship!

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

Please note that we will be open on Thanksgiving Day, Monday, October 12th, from 7 am to 10 pm. (Note that Childcare will not be available on Thanksgiving Day.) Regular business hours will apply for Saturday and Sunday.

Masters Swim Club swimmers rock Tiburon

Last weekend (Sunday, Sept. 13th) in San Francisco Bay, two swimmers from one of Talisman Centre's Sport Partners, Calgary's Masters Swim Club, put in an incredible performance - each of them winning their respective age groups!

• Jeanne Carlsen won her women's age group category (50-59), and came in 57th overall with a time of 27 minutes and 40 seconds.
• Rob Davis won his age group category (50-59), and came in 65th overall with a time of 28 minutes and 5 seconds.
  

The event is called the "RCP Tiburon Mile" and consists of swimming th elength of one nautical mile (roughly 1800 metres). The swimmers started in San Fransisco Bay, and swam from Angel Island to the town of Tiburon. Talisman Centre is proud of the Calgary Masters Swim Club's success, and congratulates Carlsen and Davis on their impressive achievements!

PanAm Success!

As you may have noticed if you were at Talisman Centre last week, an international event just took place in our very own dive tank – the Pan Am Junior Diving Championship. It's wrapped up now, and the impressive results are in: Dive Calgary is one of Talisman Centre's valued Sport Partners, and their diver Emily Schmidt won a bronze medal in the under-three-metre diving event (girls aged 11 and under category); one of four bronze medals won by Canadian divers! Canada also garnered eight silver medals and four gold medals by the time the competition was over.

Talisman Centre was proud to play host to athletes from across North, South, and Central America, and thrilled at Canada's performance at such a prestigious event.

Thank you to all of you who stopped by to watch part of the competition – those of you who did won't soon forget the incredible skill that was on display. Stay tuned to the blog to hear about other upcoming events, only at Talisman Centre!

Gym temporary closures (Oct. 1st to 12th)

From Thursday, October 1st to Monday, October 12th, Gyms 4 and 5 will be closed. During this time, Gyms 1, 2 and 3 will be closed to the public during the week from 4pm to 11pm. (On weekends, public space in gyms 1, 2 and 3 will be limited to just one of the three gyms.)

Gyms 4 and 5 are getting holes drilled for volleyball, and having new lines painted to facilitate both volleyball and field hockey. (Gyms 4 and 5 are located in the Dr. Neville Lindsay Sport Wellness Building at Talisman Centre, are the two gyms that will remain open during the 2010 Facility Enhancement project, when Talisman Centre gets a new roof, among other upgrades and enhancements.)

Athletes start arriving Monday for Junior PanAms...

As you may have heard, the PanAm Junior Diving Championship is coming to Talisman Centre! Held every two years, this one-of-a-kind event is bringing the best junior divers from across North America to compete. The athletes start arriving next Monday, September 7th. Look for them in the building, and be sure to come watch the competition beginning Thursday, September 10th!

The biggest event of 2009 is coming soon...

This international event only happens once every two years, and in 2009 it's coming to Talisman Centre! Athletes from all over North and South America – the best junior divers in the western hemisphere – are coming to our dive tank to participate.

“These are the divers that we will be seeing in the World Championships and the Olympic Games in the not-so-distant future.”

– Diving Canada High Performance Director, Scott Cranham

The teams will arrive in Calgary and start training at Talisman Centre from September 7th until September 9th, and the competition itself will run from September 10th to 13th, from 8am to 6pm every day. Be sure to stop by and cheer for these divers who have traveled so far to compete in this prestigious event.

Akeem Haynes Wins Gold Medal for 100 metres!

Read the Calgary Herald's story...

Akeem Haynes, a sprinter who trains at Talisman Centre, won the gold medal in 100 metres at the Canada Summer Games last Monday (August 24th, 2009). A member of Calgary International Track Club, Akeem set a new Alberta youth record with his time of 10.47 seconds. That time is also the 6th fastest time the 100m has been run by a youth in 2009.

Akeem holds several other youth records, including the Canadian record for 200 metres. He's starting grade 12 this fall.

Akeem's coach is John Cannon, and the Canada Summer Games were held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Talisman Centre is proud of Akeem, and adds its congratulations to him, and the entire team representing Alberta!

Holiday Hours – Monday, September 7th (Labour Day)

Talisman Centre will be open on Labour Day (Sept. 7th), under "holiday hours", which are 7:00AM to 10:00PM. There will be no registered classes this day, although Pure Cardio, Ripped, Bootcamp and Group Power WILL be running.

Dive Tower Temporary Closure (Opens Mon. Aug. 31st)

The dive tower platform will be closed due to some rubber matting repairs from Friday, August 28th at 7pm – Monday August 31st at 11am. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Fall hours for Childcare

The fall hours of the Talisman centre Childcare will resume Mon/Wed evenings and Sundays beginning on Wed Sept 9 2009.
All other hours of operation will continue as always.
**NOTE
THE CHILDCARE AT THE TALISMAN CENTRE WILL REMAIN
OPEN 'AS USUAL' UNTIL
THE END OF FEBRUARY 2010

If you have any questions please feel free to call us directly @ 403-355-1273

Thanks
Sabine Thomsen

Squeezed: Making Lemonade for Access Advantage

The Calgary Herald held a lighthearted contest this month for Calgary entrepreneurs. Their challenge was to envision the best lemonade stand – a metaphor for how entrepreneurs can take the "lemons" of a bad economy and turn them into the "lemonade" of financial success. Jari Love, certfied personal trainer and creator of the immensely popular "Get RIPPED" fitness program (featured at Talisman Centre), was one of the entrepreneurs involved, and today the Herald announced that she had been selected by the judging panel as the winner! Head over to the Calgary Herald website to learn more.

Jari's participation also raised awareness of Talisman Centre's Access Advantage fund – a fund that was set up in 2008 in order to facilitate participation at Talisman Centre for all Calgarians, regardless of developmental, physical, or financial ability. Find out more about the incredible Access Advantage program here, and be sure to take a look at Jari's impressive business plan at the Herald's website.

Cascade Swimmers are having an amazing year!

Cascade Swim Club (one of Talisman Centre's Sport Partners) has achieved some impressive results this year. Here's some of what their talented swimmers have been up to so far in 2009:

• Set over 75 Provincial records  - and they are still competing!
• Have 7 or 8 swimmers on the Alberta Canada Games Team set to race at the end of August in Prince Edward Island.
• Won the National Age Group Men's and Overall Championship — last year they won the Men's Championship.
• At Senior Nationals, Cascade men won the 4 x 200 Freestyle relay; a first for the club!

Congratulations to all the Cascade Swimmers for these significant accomplishments! Keep up the great work.

Teach Pool Closed Thursday, August 13 to Friday, August 14th

The Teach Pool will be closed today (August 13th) and tomorrow (Friday, August 14th) for maintenance. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Baton twirling is catching!

Have you ever wanted to try twirling a baton? Come to a one-day clinic at Talisman Centre!

When:  Saturday, August 22, 2009
Where:  Talisman Centre
Time:  11:00AM to 3:00PM
Who:  Girls and Boys, ages 8-15
Cost:  $10 per person

Details:

• Participants will receive lessons in baton twirling, dance & gymnastics
• No prior experience is necessary
• Participants will be grouped according to age 
• Batons will be provided  
• Lunch is provided
• A performance by the instructors and other twirlers will conclude the day

Registration forms are available on the Alberta Baton Twirling Association website.

For more information on this clinic, email or call (780) 415-0144.

Group Groove Launch

Wednesday August 12^th from 5:30 – 6:30 will be out Group Groove New Music Launch dance PARTY! It will be a CIRCUS and we will have no MERCY having fun and JUST DANCE. Come and have some fun getting your sweat on and learning some new moves. Remember if you can MOVE you can GROOVE. Great new music and a new format.

What to wear? Your best dance party, dance JAM clothes you can. Some shoes that move well. Just have some fun with it. Leg and arm warmers are welcome on our dance floor.

Father's Day Contest Winners

In June we ran a contest to find stories about great Dads. The top three entries received a free one-month pass to Talisman Centre (or a one-month extension on a membership), as well as a bag of Talisman Centre goodies. Also, we donated all drop-in admission fees on Father's Day to the Calgary Prostate Cancer Foundation. Here are the three winning entries, in no particular order:

1. Don Schonfelder: "My Dad is amazing! Last year he was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. This time last year he could barely walk without being out of breath. A few rounds of chemo and some recovery months later, he's cancer-free (amazing!) but he hasn't had the energy to get back to the gym. Can you help me give him a jump start?"
2. Jonathan Hedges: "My Dad is a great dad. He makes us most of our meals. He also takes my Mom and I on wonderful vacations. He takes me out for bike rides or swims every night. He is an awesome dad, and he knows it. Thanks Dad!"
   
3. Stephanie Brown: "Scott & I met about seven years ago. We were very young, very active, and veeeeery in love. Not long into our relationship, we discovered we were expecting. However, I don't think either of us could have expected how deeply we could fall in love until Aliyah came along. Everything in our world became about building our relationship, through the ups and the downs, but ultimately about being great parents. As an early high school dropout, becoming a father meant Scott had to refocus his life, which he promptly did, making us all very proud as he graduated from his program of choice; All the while teaching the joys of life to the joy of his life!
   
   "Finally, we tied the know! However, our greatly anticipated day was bitter-sweet as Scott's father passed away shortly after. We will forever have the memory of the happiness of that day. My husband suffered another great loss as his best buddy 'Ford the Dog' passed away last September. (R.I.P. Ford-o).
   
   "But we keep on truckin', and our little family grew. In January of this year our son Colton was born. Scott 'Dad' has always put us first and sometimes that means self-sacrifices (even if it means your sanity!) But in all seriousness, he has come to realize that sometimes you need to be aware of your own needs for the sake of your health. At just 28 years-old, he needs to be able to regain his optimal health so that we may continue to receive all the best he has to give. Please help him to turn the dreaded 'before' picture into a successful 'after' picture!"

Congratulations to all of our winners! Keep being great Dads, and enjoy your one-month passes to Talisman Centre!

Holiday Hours on August 3rd (August long weekend)

On Monday, August 3rd, Talisman Centre will be open from 7:00AM to 10:00PM, and there will be no registered classes that day. Ripped, Step, Group Power, and Yoga with Mike will be running, so check our drop-in schedule for times.

Thursday Deep Water Fit

Thursday, July 23 10:30am Deep Water Fit has been canceled.

Thursday Power Cycle

Thursday night Power Cycle class will NOT be running until further notice.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Mayor Bronconnier takes a dive at Talisman Centre

Talisman Centre was featured in the Calgary Sport Council's promotional video for the Mayor's 5th Sport Breakfast. Maybe you've seen the spot on TV, or you can watch Mayor Bronconnier take the plunge off our 7-metre dive tower below:



For more informaion, visit the Calgary Sport Council's website.

High Flow Advisory for Elbow River

The City of Calgary has issued a high flow advisory for the Elbow River. People are also being warned to stay away from the banks of the river because the soil is at risk of eroding. This may be of concern to those Talisman Centre customers who like to run outside along the river. Please be careful! (The advisory impacts only the Elbow River, not the Bow River.)

O.K. Computer

On Wednesday, July 15th, our internal computer system will be down while it is upgraded. This means that on Wednesday, we will be unable to process credit card or debit card transactions. We will be accepting cash only during this time. In addition, we will be unable to process online registrations. We regret any inconvenience, and anticipate that things will be back up and running (and better than ever) on Thursday, July 16th.

Reminder: Training Pool closed for much of August 2009

Talisman Centre will be retrofitting the training pool bulkhead in August, and this will require the temporary closure of the pool. We anticipate the pool will be closed from Wednesday, August 5th to Friday, August 28th. The 20-person hot-tub will also be closed for a portion of time during this period. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but trust that the new bulkhead will make Talisman Centre an even better place to swim!

For your information, here is the breakdown of the retrofit plan:

• August 5th to 10th: Our Operations team will be emptying the water from the pool and preparing the bulkhead for retrofitting.
  
• August 10th to 23rd: The retrofitting will take place, and meanwhile the 20-person hot-tub will be drained, and the tiles regrouted.
• August 23rd to 28th: The Operations team will refill the training pool with water, and make sure it is safe to reopen to the public.
  

Lifetime Membership for Olympic Stars

The Lindsay Park Sports Society (LPSS) that manages Talisman Centre has a policy that allows the society to bestow honourary lifetime memberships on "persons who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the [Lindsay Park Sports] Society or [Talisman] Centre" or "...have attained status as gold, silver or bronze medalists at recognized world championships and/or Olypmics."

Recently, two individuals were honured with lifetime meberships by the LPSS Board: Carol Huynh and Romel Raffin.

Carol Huynh is a wrestler, and has won  three world medals, a Pan American Gold medal, a World University Gold medal, and is an eight time Canadian Champion. She also brought home Canada's first medal (gold!) in the 2008 Beijing Olympics! You can read a post-Olympic interview with Carol here.

Romel Raffin is Canada's most successful Olympic Basketball athlete. He has qualified for four Olympic teams, 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988, competed three times (Canada boycotted the 1980 Olympics) and twice came in at fourth place. His post-Olympic career has seen Romel become a major contributor to and supporter of the sport in Southern Alberta, from high school coaching to leading basketball camps, to mentoring and advising coaches. Romel is a member of the Naismith Museum & Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Romel and Carol for their incredible success!

Upcoming Partner Exchange Program dates

Saturday, July 18th (Calgary Tritons Summer Swim Meet)
Saturday, August 8th to Sunday August 9th (Region E Summer Swim Meet)

Pick up your pass at the Customer Service Desk. (See below for participating facilities)

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What is the Partner Exchange Program?
Parking, locker room space, public gym and pool space will be at a premium during some events. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the Partner Exchange Program when in effect.

The Partner Exchange Program is for MEMBERS ONLY.
As a value added to your experience as a member, don't forget to pick up your pass during designated Partner Exchange Program times to workout at the following facilities:

• CARDEL PLACE
• SOUTHLAND LEISURE CENTRE
• YMCA OF CALGARY
• VILLAGE SQUARE LEISURE CENTRE
• FITNESS ON FIFTH (YWCA)

Sport Camps

With summer finally here, I just wanted to send you a quick reminder that our Summer Camps will be starting next week.  These programs bring a large number of participants to the facility each day.  Please keep yourself updated with the daily schedule when visiting our facility.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the camps, please contact Jenn Mireau at jmireau@talismancentre.com or (403) 355-1276. 

Week #1:  July 6th to 10th
Week #2:  July 13th to 17th
Week #3:  July 20th to 24th
Week #4:  July 27th to 31st
Week #5:  Aug 4th to 7th
Week #6:  Aug 10th to 14th
Week #7:  Aug 17th to 21st
Week #8:  Aug 24th to 26th

Holiday Hours on Canada Day

On Wednesday, July 1st (Canada Day), Talisman Centre will be open from 7:00AM to 10:00PM, and there will be no registered classes that day. Happy Canada Day!

Group Power Launch - Short and Tight

Group Power Summer 09 Launch – Short and tight

With summer just starting let us make sure that we are ready for the short shorts, tight shirts and fun swim suits. The new music and new programming will push past the plateaus (both physical and mental), you will be lifting more than you ever have in the past. Have a great time getting stronger and healthier. You will look great after all is said and done in Your Hour of POWER.

Launch week is starting July 6, 2009 at 6:30pm. The Theme of this launch is Short and Tight.  So be sure you are sporting short shorts or tight clothes or both!

Kylan - A Survivor's Story

Like many people, Kylan works out a few times a week at Talisman Centre. But Kylan is unique in several ways, as this video will make clear. After he sustained a serious brain injury in October of 1995 things looked very bleak for Kylan, but with the help of ARBI (Association for the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured), Kylan's story became one of a true survivor.



If you happen to see Kylan next time you're at Talisman Centre, be sure to say "Hi", and consider making a donation to ARBI's "Sponsor A Survivor" Program. Learn more at www.arbi.ca.

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a bird.

Despite arriving with a valid pass, Talisman Centre's strict "no birds" policy kept this little hawk from entering the facility on Friday.

Our feathered friend visited our accounting team, where Kyle Tully (Accounts Receivable) was able to snap this picture before the bird flew away, leaving the pass behind.

Change of childcare hours for the summer

The following changes will be in effect for Talisman Centre Childcare as of July 1st 2009:

Mon/Wed evenings and Sundays will not be available for the months of July and August. All other hours of operation will be observed as per the rest of the calendar year. All of these three time slots will be resumed again starting the week of Sept 1st, 2009.

Thank you for choosing the Talisman Centre for the care of your child(ren)!

Talisman Centre launches new website!

Welcome to Talisman Centre's new website! We hope you will enjoy our new look and come back often. We have a new blog (which you are currently reading), and you may wish to subscribe to the RSS feed for an easy way to keep up to date on the latest news. (See this post for more info on RSS).

You can also subscribe to our eZine, and get a monthly email with links to that month's best articles and stories from Talisman Centre. There's a lot to see on the site, and it will grow all the time, so stay tuned!

Take a look around, and let us know what you think. This website is still very new, so please bear with us as we iron out the kinks! If something doesn't seem to work properly, let us know, and our web wizards will try to fix it.

RSS is your friend!

A really neat thing you can do with the new Talisman Centre blog is subscribe to specific RSS feeds* that you're interested in. The main RSS feed will get you all the latest news, updates and information about Talisman Centre - everytime our blog is updated, you'll hear about it! If you prefer, you can subscribe just to those blog posts that contain customer alerts, and/or subscribe to receive a notice whenever there is new information about drop-in classes.

Hint: You can build your own RSS feeds using any of the labels (or "tags") that appear with each post. The format for our RSS feeds looks like this:

http://www.talismancentre.com/blog/index.php?categories=*****

All you need to do is replace "*****" with the label you're interested in, like ("alert", "drop-in" etc.) and then copy and paste it into your RSS reader.

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*Do you know what an RSS feed is? (It stands for "Really Simple Syndication".) It's also a great way to keep up with the latest news and information from Talisman Centre. With RSS, instead of periodically visiting this blog to see if there's a new post, this blog can come to you, automatically, whenever it is updated! First you need an RSS reader, like Google Reader or Bloglines. Once you have that, all you need to do is "subscribe" to our RSS feed, which is as simple as copy and paste!

For an overview of what RSS is, and how it works, check out this video:

Stanley Park Pool this Summer

In the past, Talisman Centre has operated Stanley Park Pool during the summer months. Stanley Park Pool will be open this year, but Talisman Centre will not be managing it. Instead, it is being operated by the Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pool Association (COSPA). Stanley Park Pool is one of Calgary's great outdoor pools, and you should check it out this summer!

2009 Customer Survey - Our Response/Action Plan

Periodically, we conduct a survey of our members and other customers in order to determine which areas we can improve in. We are grateful for your feedback, and encourage you to contact us at any time with any questions or concerns. We take these survey results very seriously, and in consultation between all of our internal departments, we prepare a communication to our customers, which you can now view online. This page will tell you we're doing, and give you answers to questions you posed through the survey. As always, we invite you to let us know how we can serve you better.

Happy New Year!

2008 was a great year. It was Talisman Centre's 25th anniversary as part of Calgary's landscape, and we spent some time looking back at our history and taking stock of where we've been and all that we've accomplished in the quarter century we've been around. Now it's 2009, and we have tons of great things planned for Talisman Centre this year! Stay tuned to our website, because we think 2009 is going to be our best year yet!