Our Year In Photos (2024)
December 2023 - Traci and oldest daughter Teagan, at Martini Town in Langley, BC. Martini Film Studios has 8 soundstages and a variety of outdoor film locations and is where most of the Hallmark Christmas movies are filmed each summer.
December 2023, Calgary - Traci, with Mark’s parents Alan & Patti. The family loves the real wood fireplace.
January 2024, Calgary - New Years Day: Traci completing the Globe & Mail's massive Year In Review crossword puzzle.
January 2024, Calgary - During the cold snap where the highs for the day were -30C. The view from our offices on the 41st floor.
January 2024, Guayabitos Mexico, Maria & Wayne enjoying a vacation with friends.
February 2024, Calgary - Mark & Traci’s annual Super Bowl viewing party. Watching the KC Chiefs defeat the SF 49ers in overtime 25-22.
March 2024 - Mark & Traci visiting the Raymond James offices on El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert.
March 2024, Calgary - Maria taking Line Dancing lessons.
April 2024 - Mark & Traci in Portugal for the Raymond James Chairmans Council meetings. This is the week before, on the Douro River cruise which departed from Porto.
April 2024 - Porto, Portugal
Running along the Douro river to the Atlantic ocean.
April 2024 - The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail in the Algarve, the world-famous vacation spot in southern Portugal. The scenery, cliffs, beaches and caves are all incredible and well worth the drive from Lisbon.
April 2024 - Benagil Cave in Lagoa, Portugal
One of the most famous beaches and rock formations in the world. Initially made famous when Bill Gates discovered this very isolated spot while on holidays and made it the screensaver on Windows 10. That was the last year this spot was “isolated”.
April 2024 - Cabo da Roca in Sintra, Portugal
The Cape is (surprisingly) the most westernmost point in all of Europe, even further west than the UK. The Cape includes a lighthouse that began operation in 1772.
April 2024 - On the Douro River, with Vineyards on the hills growing the grapes for the world-famous Port wines.
April 2024 - Traci under UV light at the Museum Côa Parque in Portugal as the researchers review the timeline and potential meanings of the ancient rock carvings.
April 2024 - Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde This open-air Paleolithic archaeological site is located in northeastern Portugal, near the border with Spain. In the early 1990s, rock engravings were discovered. They include thousands of engraved rock drawings of horses, bovines and other animals, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years B.C.
April 2024 - Mark at Universidad de Salamanca in Spain
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish public research university. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and one of the oldest in the world in continuous operation.
April 25, 2024 - Freedom Day at Jardim de Avenida Visconde Guedes Teixeira in Lamego, Portugal
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the revolution that ended the Salazar Dictatorship in Portugal.
April 2024 - Lagos, in the Algarve region, 3 hours south of Lisbon. Amazing limestone and sandstone rock formations.
April 2024, Lisbon: Mark and Traci at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica to watch the home team Benfica (Mark is wearing their jersey) defeat rival Bragga 3-1.
April 2024, Lisbon: At the Benfica vs Bragga football match. Early in the game with the home team down a goal, the hometown Benfica fans throw dozens of flares onto the pitch as an angry response to the team’s coach and GM. The game is delayed several times and it takes most of the first half for the smoke to clear. Things settle down as Benfica scores 3 unanswered goals to win the game and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
May 2024, Lisbon: Mark & Traci and other Raymond James friends on the Lisbon City of Spies Tour. In WW2, Portugal was officially neutral so Lisbon was a gathering place for spies from both sides. In the classic movie Casablanca, refugees gathered in Casablanca dreaming, conspiring and even murdering to get the “Letters of Transit” so that they could get to neutral Lisbon, and then find their way to freedom in Canada, Australia or the USA.
May 2024, City bike tour of the Belem district in Lisbon: In the background is the 16th-century Tower of Belém, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent, a 16th-century fortification that symbolizes Portugal's maritime and colonial power in early modern Europe.
From left: Sukhdeep, Damian from RJ Trust, Traci, Mark, our amazing branch manager Jocelyn, Lily, Suzanne and Maria
May 2024 - Suzanne riding the rim of the Sinclair Canyon near Radium, BC.
May 2024, Calgary: Lily volunteering for May Cares 2024 at Brown Bagging for Kids.
June 2024, Kamloops: Lily with her family at her cousin’s wedding, celebrating Blake and Roz, at beautiful Monte Creek Winery.
June 2024 - Traci with Jocelyn Beckett, RJ Branch Manager, at the Golf for Girls Charity Tournament at Valley Ridge Golf Course. This tournament aims to raise $100,000 annually for Made by Momma, a volunteer-run, grassroots non-profit organization that provides wholesome nourishment and nurturing care to mothers and young children facing situations of adversity and crisis. Jocelyn’s team won for best dressed. Traci’s team won for lowest score, closest to the pin and longest drive.
June 2024 - Traci’s team had the most fun!
June 2024: On the BC Ferry from North Vancouver to Nanaimo. Mark & Traci visited several clients who have moved from Alberta to Vancouver Island, as well as Traci’s daughter Teagan.
June 2024, Gabriola Island: Unusual sandstone rock formations shaped and carved by time, tides, and ocean waves. Gabriola Island, with ~4500 inhabitants, is a 20 minute Ferry ride from Nanaimo.
June 2024, Calgary: Mark & Traci at an “introduction to Pickleball” event.
July 2024 – Mark and Traci golfing on Canada Day at Silver Springs, Calgary.
July 2024, Calgary: Maria getting Lassoed at a Calgary Stampede event.
July 2024 - Maria & her 8 siblings visiting their Mom in Saskatoon.
July 2024 - Maria & her friends enjoying the 2024 opening ceremony at the Calgary Stampede.
July 2024 - Maria enjoying 2024 Calgary Stampede.
July 2024 – Sukhdeep with her son Rantaj (now 7 years old) at Calgary Stampede Parade. It was their first time watching the parade.
July 2024 – Suzanne riding to the apex of Boundary Ridge (Elevation 1584m) in West Bragg Creek, AB.
July 2024 - Suzanne with members of the Spin Sisters Women’s Mountain Biking Club in West Bragg Creek on a beautiful Sunday morning.
July 2024, Calgary – Mark volunteering at the Grizzly Den.
July 2024, Calgary: Lily reviewing photos with the team photographer.
July 2024, Calgary - Suzanne reluctantly having her photo taken for the website.
July 2024, Calgary: Sukhdeep in the hair and make-up chair before the team photo shoot.
August 2024, Calgary: Mark & Traci finally put together a solid round this golf season.
August 2024, Calgary: Mark donating to the Mustard Seed's Backpacks for School program, supporting Calgary kids with backpacks and school supplies.
August 2024 - Calgary: Sukhdeep with her kids Rantaj (7 years old) and Yuvraj (15 months old) at Calaway Park for their first (but definitely not only) visit to our local amusement park.
August 2024 – Sukhdeep and family in Banff experiencing all 4 seasons in a single day.
September 2024, Montreal: Mark and Traci sneaking on to the 14 green at the Presidents Cup Golf Tournament at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
September 2024, Montreal: Mark and Traci with the actual President's Cup.
September 2024, Calgary: Maria's weekly pickleball group.
October 2024, Calgary: Mark's daughter Sarah, now a teacher in Calgary, coaching Junior girls’ basketball.
Nov 2024 - Traci named as the Top Fundraiser in Canada for Ovarian Cancer Canada for the past 5 years.
November 2024, New York City: Traci after completing her 3rd World Major Marathon in New York City. She finished 24,086th out of 55,533 finishers and 7,593rd out of 24,709 females in 4:14:09.
November 2024, New York City: Traci on 6th Avenue in Manhattan celebrating completing the NYC Marathon.
November 2024, Calgary: Lily and her partner Bill at the Raymond James Christmas party.
November 2024, Calgary: Maria's playing cards with her ladies "Canasta" group! Keeping her brain sharp and social life active. 😃
Nov 2024, Calgary: Mark volunteering and speaking at the U of C Haskayne School of Business.
Nov 2024, Calgary: Mark at the U of C Haskayne School of Business, speaking to a very engaged class of 4th year Business students.
