What’s the moment in your life that set you on another path? That’s the question speakers for the second annual TEDx Lakeland will be answering when sharing their own stories with audience members.
After last year’s success, the Bonnyville Boys and Girls Club wanted to expand the event offer a TED Talk in both Bonnyville and Cold Lake.
Patty Srisuwan, executive director for the local club, said TEDx Lakeland offers attendees an interesting way of learning life lessons.
“It’s like a student conference, where they don’t have to just sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher, but actually listen to someone who’s out there, they’ve been there, and done that,” she added.
A TEDx Talk is a platform for a panel of speakers to discuss their ideas, which normally follows a theme. The focus for this year will be ‘Moments in Motion.’
“I would like to highlight the moment that changed people’s lives,” Srisuwan explained. “It’s that moment that changed your life, it could be when you’re young or old, it doesn’t matter, but, it’s a moment or a person that came in and changed your life, and I would like to hear why. I think it’s important for students to have that type of moment for themselves when they realize what they wanted to do and it’s the moment they decided to direct their own destiny.”
A number of speakers will be stepping onto the stage and sharing their personal journeys, including local entrepreneur Jennie Hamel.
Although it was her dream since she was 14 to open her own restaurant, Jennie’s Diner and Bakery wouldn’t become a reality until 2014.
“I met my husband and we ended up in Bonnyville, which was amazing because we love it here,” she recalled, adding before opening her restaurant, the pair ran a trucking company.
“That’s a full-time-plus job with raising children, and it just wasn’t in the cards.”
For Hamel, everything changed seven years ago when one of their trucks was in a major collision. It was in that moment she realized she didn’t want to continue with the business anymore.
Her husband agreed, and they took some time off to travel. When they got back, Hamel decided to pursue her lifelong vision of opening a restaurant and started looking for a location.
“We found a piece of property we thought would be a good fit, which happened to be the legion, and from there, everything started to grow,” she said.
Jennie’s Diner and Bakery officially opened their doors in 2014, and Hamel has been running it ever since.
She’s excited to take the stage in Bonnyville and hopes to change one person’s life during her presentation. Although she didn’t achieve her goals until later in life, that never dissuaded her from believing she would one day accomplish them.
According to Srisuwan, they’re still in the process of confirming more speakers forthe Bonnyville session.
While Hamel’s life was changed by a moment, Craig Konechny’s was altered by a person.
After purchasing Beantrees Café in Cold Lake in 2016, Konechny started featuring local musicians and small theatre productions.
“The biggest surprise was how many talented artists and people were in the community, because I never would have guessed that in a million years,” he noted.
During the process of putting on their first big show, Konechny met Teresa Pettit and later asked if she would consider working for a theatre if he built one.
“It’s her passion, which quickly became my passion after just recognizing the impact on the community,” he explained. “I just wouldn’t have believed it, not being an arts person prior to this.”
With Konechny and Pettit at the helm, the Grande Parlour was opened in May 2017.
A lesson he hopes to offer attendees during his talk in Cold Lake is to create something that you’re passionate about, and not let anything or anyone stand in your way.
“If I were to listen to everybody who told me I couldn’t do a theatre in this town, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Sharing their stories alongside Konechny in Cold Lake is local pilot Alexia Hannam and entrepreneur and teacher Nadine Friesen.
Residents are invited to take their seat at either the Bonnyville show on Oct. 9, or the Cold Lake show Oct. 10. Tickets aren’t necessary, so anyone interested can show up the day of. Speakers will kick-off at the Bonnyville Centennial Centre and Cold Lake Energy Centre on their respective days starting at 9 a.m.
Those looking to bring a group of 20 or more are encouraged to let Srisuwan know in advance by emailing [email protected].
