Daybreak Alberta

The latest "Absolutely" documentary streaming on CBC Gem is "Random Is My Favourite Colour," a feature film showcasing the internationally reknown Lyle XOX. He creates multi-media art from garbage into disctinctive masks. Growing up as Lyle Reimer in a small prairie town in Saskatchewan, his work spans the globe, garnering acclaim and promiment place in famous stores and on Instagram.

Each month on Daybreak, writer Angie Abdou (Home Ice, The Bone Cage) drops in to the show to review an Alberta book. This month, she takes a look inside the pages of "The Secret Marathon." It's a story of courage as a Afghan filmmaker trains alongside her running mentor and a group women standing up for their right to equality.

Many teachers spend their summer vacations resting and relaxing, recharging their batteries for the next school year. For many, travel is part of that process. Sherwood Park social studies teacher Spencer Sekyer has spent his time off in recent years travelling to some of the most dangerous parts of the world, freeing young chimpanzees from captivity. Spencer shares his passion for chimps in his new book called, "Saving Manno: What a Baby Chimp Taught Me About Making the World a Better Place."

Part of being in a book club involves having a good discussion prompted by a book, and Nicole Brooks thinks she may have a good suggestion for you. The Alberta author has just launched her second novel, "Cake," a story centered around a love triangle between two women and a husband. However, Nicole says the book tackles so much more than that.

Many of us have seen news reports about rescues that happen in the backcountry of Alberta. We may have witnessed professionals and volunteers to rush to a scene to risk their own life and limb to save the life of a complete stranger. Some of those stories come home in a new documentary, "Mountain 911" debuting July 12 on CBC Gem. One of the people in the film is Doug Ritchie with Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue. "Mountain 911" features dramatic footage of Doug hanging out of a helicopter over a waterfall at Crescent Falls following of rescuing of a Wetaskawin man, Martin Presse. Two decades from the July 1999 event, they reunite on Daybreak to speak with Russell Bowers for the first time since that fateful rescue.