First Nations Voice

January 2013

Building bridges between all communities

Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/100814

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 15 of 19

NORTHERN/NORTHMART KICKS OFF THE HOLIDAYS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH LADIES NIGHT - Chantal Verrier Complimentary coffee and holiday treats are available, door prizes and special offers are offered throughout the night, and shoppers are greeted with roses from staff dressed up in tuxes. It���s more than your typical shopping experience, it���s Ladies Night. So what exactly is Ladies Night? It���s an annual event held after store hours at all Northern/NorthMart stores. Ladies Night dates back over 40 years, and has since become one of the most anticipated events of the holiday season. ���We���re busy from the time we open the doors to the time we close. It���s a big event, and we peak at around 100 shoppers in the store at a certain point,��� says Richard Thomas, store manager at NorthMart Cross Lake. During the 2012 holiday season, Ladies Night fell on December 13th and was celebrated with the stores festively decorated for the holidays. ���It gives the ladies a chance to come out and shop for their families and get their Christmas shopping done without their husbands hanging around,��� says Pat Jacob, General Manager, Northern Canada Retail. ���It���s an opportunity for everyone to shop and play some games. We have a lot of different games that are played during the night.��� Ladies Night features a range of exciting games and challenges, and one popular game even involves bowling with a frozen turkey. The Turkey Bowl is exactly what it sounds like: using a frozen turkey to bowl down the store aisles. Games played during Ladies Night vary depending on the store, and other popular games and activities include Minute to Win It, Mummy Wraps, Alaska Horse Races, and finding the hidden item in a box of mandarins. Along with a fun variety of games, Ladies Night also provides a great opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done without breaking the bank. Sales like Biggest Savings and Best Prices are available on almost all Christmas and gift-giving items. WHAT HAPPENED TO DESIREE? Searching for Answers One Year Later Everyone in the small community of Siksika Nation, Alberta knew Desiree Oldwoman. Friendly and outgoing, the 21-year-old loved shopping, perfumes and yes, pickles. So when Desiree went missing on August 27, 2011, the entire community first went into shock then, all together, began searching every building, every home, and every barn, for the young woman they had all grown to love. Yet despite no rock being left unturned, they could not find Desiree. Desiree grew up with Autism, and though she could not speak, she was very close with her three younger siblings ��� Jeremiah, Warren and Blossom. She attended high school and lived with her loving grandmother, June, after her mother���s passing in 2007. Desiree often liked to carry a shopping bag filled to the brim with her favourite things, including scented objects like air fresheners and perfumes, as well as her favourite blanket. She had a love for life that was contagious. Her family deeply misses her, and is at a loss without her in their lives. Desiree was last seen on August 27th, 2011 around 8:20 pm inside her home. It is believed that she wandered away, and investigators suspect she may have been walking along Highway #901. At the time of her disappearance she was wearing a brown sweater, and black pants with a red stripe. Though she cannot speak, she can write her name. ���Over a year has passed, and her family, her community continues to search for answers,��� says Christy Dzikowicz, Director of MissingKids.ca. ���We know someone out there knows something about Desiree���s disappearance and we strongly urge them to come forward. Let her family begin the new year with the peace of knowing what happened to their beloved Desiree.��� If you have any information about Desiree Oldwoman���s disappearance please contact MissingKids.ca at 1-866-KID-TIPS. Some stores even take customer service to the next level and offer gift wrapping. Customers can bring home beautifully wrapped presents, ready to be set out under the Christmas tree. This means customers now have one less thing to prepare for the holidays, and are now free to spend more time with their family and loved ones. ���We offer gift wrapping services. We have a youth group from the community that comes in to raise money,��� says Thomas. ���They���ll charge small, affordable fees for gift wrapping and the money collected goes towards the youth group to fund their activities.��� The games and events held during Ladies Night may vary in each store, but overall Ladies Night is a great community event everywhere it���s held. From the time the doors open, until they close at 10 p.m. Ladies Night serves as both a shopping event and a great holiday experience. ���At the end of it, it���s just a really fun night,��� says Jacob.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of First Nations Voice - January 2013