Since 2008, Routes Magazine found its way into the homes and businesses thoughout the foothills of southern Alberta, up until their High River office was wiped out by last year’s devastating floods. Not to be discouraged, the team put together a special issue and are now offering it for sale. The commemorative issue features Southern Alberta luminaries such as musicians Amos Garrett and George Canyon and media personalities Darrel Janz (former host Calgary’s CTV News), Mike Holmes (Residential Contractor, TV Host) and Terry Grant (star of Outdoor Life Network’s television series Mantracker. )
(Editor’s Note: Sandra Wiebe gifted our editor, Pam Jones, with a copy of the book and it is truly beautiful and would make a great gift. Buy 2 and keep one for yourself!)
Why We Made the Best of Routes by Sandra Wiebe, Founder and Publisher
As the 2013 flood affected all of us at routes on a personal level, it also left us without an office to work from, however this did not dampened our passion for the arts in Alberta.
Like us, the flood affected many of the artists we profiled in Routes over the years, on both personal and a business level. We wanted our readers to know what had happened to them but we also wanted to show you how important the arts are and how they endure during and after a crisis.
We carved out a little time from mucking out our basements and set up office in coffee shops and backyards to pull together a sampling of our favourite stories from our past five years of publishing.
We updated each profile so readers can see what they are up to now. We scoured their databases for never seen before images and added a few new features to the Best of Routes issue as well.
This Best of Routes magazine is not only a celebration of five years of hard work, but five years of discovering incredible every day people who weave their passion and their art into the lives and hearts of those around them and their communities.
Corb Lund, Alberta’s own singer/songwriter star of story-telling tales of life in Alberta, graces the cover of the special issue. Lund was photographed inside the Longview Twin Cities Hotel and Bar. Lund knows what it’s like to be part of small town life, life on the road and embracing all that is Alberta
Routes Magazine Contributors

The house pictured above is located in High River and was home to Jerry Zac Shiel before the 2013 flood. The house, now unlivable, became a spontaneous community art installation when Jerry placed a piece of flood art from his home onto the outside wall to dry and he added the quote from Martin Luther King:
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity.
The wall continues to be added to by friends and strangers, a beacon of hope for a healing community.
Routes is celebrating 5 years in publishing with a commemorative issue available now! 100 pages of beautiful images and stories from our past five years as well as a few new ones. An awesome celebration of art and artists in southern Alberta, a true collector’s edition – all without advertisements.
*$25 each or for 10 copies or more it comes down to $20 each
Available by mail or in person in:
HIGH RIVER
- Studio D Salon, 134 Macleod Trail SW
- Pixie Hollow Books, Temp Business park
- Museum of the Highwood, Centre Street
- Art and Soul Gallery/Routes Office at 120 – 6 ave SW
CALGARY
- Collector’s Gallery, 1332 – 9 Ave SE
- Daily Globe Newshop, 1004-17 ave SW
- Pages, Kensington
- Shelf Life Books, 4 street SW
- Chapters, Shawnessy, SW
- Indigo,130th avenue, SW
Order the Best of Routes: 25+ Inspiring People of Southern Alberta
To pay by cheque please mail your payment to:
Routes Media Inc
541-7 street SW
High River, AB
T1V 1B7
(GST included, please add $4 for shipping)
If you wish to purchase more than 10 books, or would like to be a point of sale, please contact Sandra at 403-880-4784 or sandra@routesmedia.ca.
To see more about Routes Media and their commemorative issue see: www.routesmedia.com.