Athabasca’s Alice B. Donahue Library was a bit more magical than usual July 26, as magician Steve Harmer made bunnies appear and spread messages of kindness to attentive boys and girls.
The free magic show was part of the library’s daily summer programing, said Cynthia Graefe, library director. She said there is a different activity put on every day from 1-3 p.m. until August 27.
Over 20 kids aged three to 12 attended the show, which is a great turnout according to Graefe.
“Usually, our programs are for kids five to 12 but the younger ones were allowed to join if they had a parent present,” she said.
Harmer said he had been a teacher and principal in Calgary for 21 years when he made the decision to become a professional magician.
Harmer has been a magician for 35 years and has performed 4,000 magic shows including 2,000 with an educational purpose, he said.
“I was 45 when I made the decision to do this, I was going to wait until I retired but then a friend of mine passed away,” said Harmer. “And I thought well maybe I’ll take a leave and see how things go because life is short.”
Harmer performs 12 different programs that are “proactive preventative programs for elementary students,” he said,
Magic programming allows him to merge two of his passions, teaching and performing, he said.
Harmer performed his “be a bucket filler” program at the library, which encourages kids to use affirming words and actions to empower and strengthen others and themselves.
“I could hear how much fun they were having all the way up here,” said Graefe.
Harmer previously visited Athabasca ten years ago, when he performed two shows at school in town, he did not remember its name, he said.
Athabasca was Harmer’s 17th stop on a list of 43 library shows this summer, he said.
The performance was made possible by the Northern Light Library System, which organized and funded it, said Graefe.
Harmer’s one-man show headed to Cold Lake July 27, where he performed two shows at the south and north branch of the Cold Lake Public Library.
