NEWS of the Red Deer Region - December 1-15, 2005

 
News of the Red Deer Region
snippets and summaries of news reports from local media (primarily Red Deer Advocate and Red Deer Express)
December 2005 Part 1

Dec. 15, 2005
The Westerner Has Best Year Ever
The Westerner Exposition Association in Red Deer raked in $1.2 million in 2005 which will be pumped back into operations and building programs. Agri-Trade and Westerner Days were particularly profitable events. During the year, a $2.1 million expansion to the Agricentre doubled its size, adding 36,000 square feet. Work is underway on a $4 million project to build stabling barns and a show ring on the south east side of the site. Much of the funding came from provincial grants. The next big project will be the building of a grandstand, the most recent proposal being a $3 million facility seating 5,000.

Dec. 14, 2005
Parks Board Will Seek Public Input on Parks Plan
The Red Deer Recreation and Parks Board is recommending that the recent Waskasoo Special Gathering Places report be used as a planning tool for the park system. The plan suggests a $18.5 million upgrade over the next few years including a pair of river-spanning foot bridges, additional water attractions at Discovery Canyon and a canoe-kayak circuit at Three Mile Bend. A recommendation to replace the equestrian activities at Heritage Ranch with a $1.9 million interpretive centre has generated a significant public outcry. The Board indicated that the public's input will be considered when the plan goes to City Council next month as well as at each stage of the plan's implementation.

Dec. 13, 2005
Red Deer Approves Capital Budget for 2006 of Almost $96 Million
The City of Red Deer has estimated that $540 million worth of projects need to be done by the year 2010. Of that, available funding will cover about $443 million, leaving a shortfall of $97 that would need to be borrowed. Major projects that the City feels need to be done over the next five years or so include a $90 million relocation of the civic yards (including Public Works, Transit, Electric Light and Power, Parks), a $46 million arts, heritage and history centre and a $23 million northside river bridge and road extension. To accomplish that, the City needs to start the process by spending $95.7 million in the next year, almost $36 million more than in 2005. The 2006 budget includes $9 million for design and site grading near Three Mile Bend for the civic yard relocation, $2 million for design work on the museum and $300,000 for planning work for the river bridge. Other capital projects for 2006 include $11 million for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, $3 million towards construction of a north side police station, $3 million to replace city vehicles, $2 million for roadwork west of Highway 2, $2 million for Delburne Road widening, $2 million for 30 Ave. widening, $1 million for City Hall work, $1 million for upgrading city software, $1 million for Gaetz Ave. north improvements plus several other projects.
Delayed Track Maintenance Was Cause of Springbrook Train Derailment
The Transportation Safety Board has released a report on the March 2004 train derailment northeast of Springbrook. Several cars of a 70-car Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed at 4:30 am March 4, 2004 when residents of a nearby trailer park were temporarily evacuated due to one of the cars leaking residue of anhydrous ammonia. Faulty rail joint bars, tie plates and loose bolts were discovered and contributed to the incident. CPR has since stepped up maintenance of the busy line between Calgary and Edmonton.
More Commercial Development Proposed in Sylvan Lake
19 acres of land close to Hewlett Park Landing in Sylvan Lake is in the process of being rezoned from urban reserve to highway commercial to accommodate a proposed commercial development. That does not necessarily mean the project will go ahead however. Some residents feel the proposal may have a negative impact on the downtown commercial area.

Dec. 12, 2005
Considerable Interest in Red Deer County Industrial Land
Even though rezoning and subdivision are not finalized, offers have already been made on 10 lots in a quarter section of land south of the city landfill for industrial development. The County has already given approval to preliminary site grading and other approvals are expected by the end of January. Oilfield companies are particularly interested. The plan is to tie the property into the County's sewer system and draw water from Petrolia Industrial Park.

Dec. 10, 2005
Air Show Postponed One Year
Due to funding shortfalls and volunteer burnout, the Red Deer International Air Show will be postponed again for one more year. One of the biggest factors is the five-fold increase in insurance. The postponement has been to the benefit of the Rocky Mountain House air show which has now confirmed the first-time appearance of the Snowbirds.
Olds College Announces Jockey School
10 students are now in their second week Certified Exercise Rider and Jockey School program at Olds College. It's unique in Canada and has come about because of a shortage of skilled people in the horse racing industry.

Dec. 9, 2005
City Announces Half Billion in Projects Over Five Years
Surging growth is putting a strain on facilities and roads that were built decades ago when the population in and around the city was much smaller. City manager Norbert Van Wyk indicates that major investment is now critical to upgrade many of those facilities. The city is faced with $540 million worth of projects by 2010, of which $100 million will need to be borrowed. Those projects include $90 million to relocate city yards, $46 million for an arts, heritage and history centre, $35 million for Northland Drive and bridge, $28 million for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, $18 million for police facilities downtown, $12.4 million for Dawe Centre renovations, $8.6 million for Gaetz Ave. widening from 32 to 19 St., $8.5 million for City Hall space requirements, $8.4 million for 67 St. - 30 Ave. intersection improvements, and $7.5 million for Waskasoo Park Special Gathering Places project. With projected higher interest rates and construction costs, the City will likely have to borrow for the first time in several years.
Other Groups Interested in Museum Complex
The $46 million price tag for an arts, heritage and history centre has more than doubled the previous estimate for a museum and archives. However the project now includes a complex that could combine an art gallery, museum, archives, classrooms and exhibition space. The project has grown in scope partially due to possible involvement of Red Deer College and the Red Deer Library. The booming economy has also pushed up construction costs. The College sees the project as an opportunity to create a better complex together than either the City or the college could do on their own.

Dec. 8, 2005
Sylvan Lake Overpass Supported by County
When Highway 11 becomes a freeway several years down the road, the location of interchanges needs to be determined well ahead of time. One will be at Highway 20 on the east side of Sylvan Lake. However an interchange west of Sylvan Lake has been more difficult to determine. Red Deer County supports a location at Range Road 15, immediately west of Sylvan Lake and another farther west at Range Road 25 near Benalto. The consultants had originally proposed one interchange at Range Road 21, too far west for Sylvan Lake and too far east for Benalto. Not only is Sylvan Lake growing quickly but the County has identified Benalto as a community for future residential development.

Dec. 7, 2005
Change of Name for Red Deer Regional Airport
The Red Deer Regional Airport Authority has decided to change the name of the airport to 'The Regional Airport Red Deer'. Along with the name change is a new logo as part of its branding of the airport so more people recognize that the facility is one of the busiest regional airports in the province expecting more than 40,000 aircraft movements this year. There have been approximately 7,500 scheduled passengers and well over 12,000 charter passengers this year. Apparently there are people living in the area that either aren't aware of the existence of the facility or its significance or still think of it as the old military air training base. The new branding will be part of an extensive promotional campaign in the coming months.
Airport Upgrades to Cost $16 Million
A consulting company hired by Alberta Economic Development released a 100 page report recently on the needs of the Red Deer Regional Airport. It found that in order for the airport to grow and meet its potential in coming years, major infrastructure improvements will need to be done. Part of it is for upgrading aging current infrastructure like water, sewer and lighting and some is for expansion of the main runway and terminal. These upgrades will need to be done within the next ten years in order for the airport to expand to meet current goals. This report and a similar earlier report states that the airport generates between $40 and $80 million to the regional economy. The Authority is seeking funding from all levels of government.
Long Term Vision Proposed for Red Deer Area Development
Red Deer County is attempting to formulate a vision with the City of Red Deer for long term growth strategies as the city continues to expand into County land. The County is proposing that the city expand southeast, east, northeast, north and west and leave southern and southwestern expansion to the County for the balance of the century. A long term co-ordinated effort on the part of both jurisdictions will reduce the possibilities of incompatible and incoherent growth as well as future conflicts between the jurisdictions. The city is prepared to discuss the proposal but has yet to agree to it. The current inter-municipal plan is expected to be updated in the near future.

Dec. 6, 2005
Blackfalds New Civic Centre Officially Opens
The $2.9 million civic centre, built using private funding, was officially opened Monday. The town office, occupying 22,000 square feet on the upper floor of the bilevel is four times the size of the previous facility. The town library occupies the lower floor and is double the previous facility. It's located on municipal land behind the old town office.

Dec. 5, 2005
Rocky Mountain House Historic Site Being Renovated
Parks Canada has reversed its decision to close or cut services to the Rocky Mountain House National Historical Site and is now planning to renovate the site at a cost of $2.9 million. After much public protest to shutting down the facility, the government is now preparing to modernize the site adding new washrooms, new roofing, a new water system and more modern displays highlighting explorer David Thompson's involvement in the area. Thompson started mapping the Central Alberta region in 1799. The work should be completed by the summer of 2007.

Dec. 1, 2005
Red Deer Cancer Centre Opens Soon
A new 14,000 square foot cancer centre will open December 14 at the southwest corner of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. The space available for treating cancer patients will be triple the space currently being used. Part of the new facility will be designated for children and, for the first time, all patients will have more privacy and their own TVs. The construction budget for the centre was $4.5 million. It's the last building of a multi-million dollar expansion of the hospital that started in 2001.
AbundanceNet Launches New netMagazine
Focus on the Red Deer Region launched Dec. 1 as an information netMagazine covering Central Alberta with special emphasis on the economic, tourism, recreation, transportation, demographic, community and historic features of the Red Deer region. This netMagazine will be further developed over the month of December and is expected to be more or less complete prior to January 1. This is the second netMagazine published by AbundanceNet, the first being Springbrook-Waskasoo Life. The new site will compliment the 3C Partnership (City of Red Deer, County of Red Deer, Chamber of Commerce) web site set to launch next March but will include several areas beyond the area promoted by the partnership, particularly communities within the County of Lacombe, but also communities within the Counties of Stettler, Mountain View, Clearwater and Ponoka.

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