Blatz joins The Camrose Canadian team
Posted By BRANDON BLATZ Sun Media
Posted 2 months ago
I am pleased to be joining the team here at The Camrose Canadian, and I look forward to bringing you full coverage of the news of the week each Thursday. I'm proud to say that I was born and raised right here in the Camrose area and I have an extensive base of relatives both here in the city and in the surrounding farming locale.
My great-grandfather bought a farm just east of Camrose in 1939 in the Kelsey district. It was later passed on to, and farmed by my grandparents, Ron and Janet Blatz. They also developed, owned and operated two gravel pits just down the road. They have since retired and now reside in Camrose.
My grandfather has been a lifelong local musician and he got me involved in music at an early age by buying me my first accordion when I was eight years old. Luckily, I must have inherited some of his talent and took up playing old-time accordion music, winning the international old-time accordion championship in my category in Kimberly, BC, three times. I have performed with various bands throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan and had the unique opportunity to play with three-time Grammy award winner Walter Ostanek. Playing in and around Camrose has been a very enriching experience. I still break out the squeeze-box to play with friends and family. Since child-hood, music has given me an opportunity to meet and interact with many different people from a great many places, and I trust that this experience will aid me in my position.
