News of the Red Deer Region - April 1 to 15, 2006

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NEWS of the Red Deer Region - April 1-15, 2006

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News of the Red Deer Region
snippets and summaries of news reports from local media (primarily Red Deer Advocate and Red Deer Express)
April 2006 Part 1

Apr. 15, 2006
Reconstruction From Last Year's Flood Proceeds
After much of Camp Harmattan between Olds and Sundre on the Little Red Deer River was destroyed by the floods of June 2005, many buildings have been rebuilt with the help of several volunteers, donations and provincial relief. The camp is expected to be ready for use by summer although some reconstruction will be delayed for several months. The City of Red Deer faces a $2 million cost for cleanup and repairs to riverbanks, trails and structures. McKenzie Trail Recreation Area is expected to be open by May 1. Some work in other areas of Waskasoo Park is completed, other parts expect to be complete by fall and other repairs may not occur until next year. Several million dollars are required to rebuild and repair other areas in Red Deer County, Mountain View County and Clearwater County.

Apr. 14, 2006
Decision on Police Academy Expected by Mid-May
The provincial Solicitor General department is expected to short list several bids for a provincial police academy in early May and make a decision by mid-May. Eleven communities in Central Alberta have expressed interest including Red Deer County at Springbrook, Penhold, Lacombe, Stettler, Olds, Rocky Mountain House, Trochu and Three Hills. The academy will prepare up to 400 recruits and 1,000 peace officers annually and provide professional development for experienced members. Students would include local police officers, prison guards, special constables, conservation and wildlife officers.

Apr. 13, 2006
Regional Waste Water Treatment System Encouraged
Alberta Environment is encouraging several communities along the Highway 2 corridor and beyond from Ponoka to Crossfield to support a proposed $400 million regional waste water treatment system. If the communities get on board, the province will provide most of the funding. A regional system would be much more economical than each municipality having its own facilities, would provide more stringent standards and would relieve health and environmental issues. So far, Red Deer County, Innisfail, Olds, Bowden and Penhold have indicated preliminary support for the proposal. The City of Red Deer is also warm to the idea and the system would likely tie into the City's system although an additional treatment plant would be required.
Red Deer's Club Cafe Closes After 77 Years
As a result of its inability to renew its lease, the Club Cafe is closing for good on May 28 after being in operation and a downtown Red Deer icon for 77 years in the same location. In addition to being a popular Chinese restaurant, their banquet room was the location for Rotary and Kinsmen Club meetings, a favourite spot for meal breaks by city councillors and once hosted Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.

Apr. 12, 2006
Red Deer Public School Board Studies Growth Options
Five options have been proposed for public input concerning future growth in the Red Deer Public School Division. New construction and redistribution of students using existing facilities are included in the various options. Challenges facing the division include under-utilization of some existing schools, increased bussing of students and population growth in areas where there are no existing schools. Redistributing students could have an impact on some programs like French Immersion. A public open house is scheduled for April 20 at Hunting Hills High School with recommendations being presented to the Board on May 10 in preparation for presentation to the province June 23.
Record Real Estate Year Forecast for Region
The Red Deer and District Real Estate Board Co-op is forecasting a record year for real estate sales in Central Alberta this year continuing into 2007. Although sales in the first quarter have been higher than last year, especially in rural municipalities, there are far fewer houses on the market in both the city and outlying areas than at the end of March last year. As a result of demand outstripping supply, property values have increased 15-30% over 2005. Several housing projects are underway throughout the region.

Apr. 11, 2006
Red Deer Housing Starts Increase Over Last Year
During the first three months of this year, 246 single detached homes were started in Red Deer as compared to 144 starts in 2005, representing a 71% increase. The pace of growth is expected to continue for some time providing sufficient labour can be found. Shortages in some building materials may also temper the pace of growth in spite of the high demand.
Red Deer County Mill Rate Down But Assessments Up
On Tuesday, Red Deer County approved the mill rate for 2006 representing almost a 10% reduction. Both the municipal mill rate for residential, reduced from 3.91 in 2005 to 3.61 for this year, and the provincial education rate are lower this year. However, property assessment values are significantly higher this year resulting in a tax increase for roughly half of County residents of around $50. Properties that haven't experienced a major assessment increase will see tax reductions. The rate of tax growth is still lower than that of the City.
A-Soo-Wuh-Um Campground to be Rebuilt for Day Use Only
After severe damage from last year's floods, the A-Soo-Wuh-Um campground near Penhold on the Red Deer River will be rebuilt as a first-rate Day Use Facility with amenities that can handle most future flooding events. Although the province will provide funding to rebuild, they have made it clear that since the area is on a flood plain, they will not provide funding in the event of future flooding damage. County policy also prohibits building on a flood plain so it was decided to convert the area from a campground to day use. Better access to the river for boaters and several improvements in the form of open gazebos, picnic shelters, tables, charcoal firepits, a playground, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, observation tower and landscaping are expected to be ready for use by the May long weekend.
Springbrook Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project Delayed
Red Deer County has decided to delay the rebuilding of 50 year old water and sewer lines as well as roads in Springbrook as a result of the lone tender for the project coming in $3 million over budget. Most potential bidders had indicated that the project, considered high risk, would be more manageable as three or four smaller projects, and is expected to be re-tendered in the fall.
Innisfail Alberta Plans Benefit for Innisfail Australia
The Innisfail Junior-Senior High School Band and the Red Deer College Symphonic Winds are planning a benefit concert at the Innisfail Legion on April 18 to help their counter parts in Innisfail Australia recover from a devastating cyclone with 290 km/hr winds that hit the town on March 20. The category 5 storm demolished several buildings, left hundreds homeless and wiped out much of the banana crop in and around the town of 8,500.

Apr. 10, 2006
Red Deer Takes Step For New Police Building
City Council has approved preliminary engineering studies on the construction of a $16.7 million RCMP building on 45 St. near 51 Ave. close to major traffic arteries, the fire hall and downtown's party strip. If Council approves construction after the study, it will replace the aging and overcrowded detachment across from the Red Deer Public Library that was built in 1967. Fourteen sites had been considered. Assuming approval, construction could start in the spring of 2007 and be open in the fall of 2008.
Rural Police Building May Relocate to Blackfalds
The RCMP and the Town of Blackfalds are working towards relocating the rural detachment, currently located on 55 St. in Red Deer, to a site within the municipal boundaries of the town. At that location, police will be in a much better position to respond to emergencies within its jurisdiction as a result of being close to both Highways 2 and 2A. The town itself with a population of 4,400 represents about 25% of the population served from the current RCMP detachment which is now running out of space. Once the town reaches a population of 5,000, which could happen within the next year, it will need to have its own police force or partner with the RCMP.
Lacombe Meat Plants to Start Construction Soon
Canadian Premium Meats recently announced that work on their $7.5 million multi-species slaughterhouse should begin May 22. The 22,000 sq. ft. facility will process cattle, bison and elk with most of the meat being exported to Europe and is expected to be operational by January 2007. Meanwhile, South River Foods' proposed 35,000 sq. ft. $18.5 million beef packing plant should start construction in early summer. Both plants will be located in Lacombe's Wolf Creek Industrial Park north of Highway 12.

Apr. 7, 2006
Sylvan Lake Plans Revitalization of Downtown Waterfront
Expanding tourism over the next 20 years is the focus of the Sylvan Lake Waterfront Area Redevelopment Plan. The plan includes a pedestrian friendly Lakeshore Drive with bicycle lanes and trails, a publicly accessible marina, conference centre and increased number of hotel rooms. The plan also wants to preserve public access to the beach, a picturesque downtown, architectural controls along the waterfront and maintain good visibility of the lake. A public open house is scheduled for April 22.

Apr. 5, 2006
Developer Tells Chamber That City and County Need to Get Act Together
At the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Luncheon today, Gordon Bontje of Laebon Homes, bluntly suggested that the City and County needed to get their act together quickly on solving their land disputes or business will go elsewhere. He also suggested they look at a long range vision of one hundred years or more and that the current situation is a result of a lack of long term planning.
Panel Suggests Provincial Land Use Strategies Needed
A senior intermunicipal planner with the City of Edmonton suggested at a Community Planning Association conference being held at the Capri Centre in Red Deer that a provincial strategy is needed to avoid conflicts between municipalities over land use. Long range planning at the provincial level would reduce local conflicts over land similar to the situation between the City of Red Deer and Red Deer County. Currently, the province will mediate in local conflicts when asked but doesn't look at the broader issues of intermunicipal planning. A planner with Strathcona County indicated that changes to the Municipal Government Act put all municipalities on an equal level but many urban municipalities still see rural municipalities as land banks for future development.
Proposed Red Deer County Waste Transfer Site State of the Art
A meeting with 50 residents close to a proposed waste transfer site on Highway 42, 1.5 km east of Highway QE2, attempted to alleviate concerns about traffic, noise, appearance and environment. Red Deer County representatives assured those present that the new facility would be contained, state-of-the-art and landscaped to a degree that it would hard to even tell it was there. One of the biggest concerns was that it could evolve into a biogas plant in the future but officials indicated that biogas is not economically viable. The County's agreement with the City of Red Deer for garbage runs out in July.
Red Deer City Census to Begin Shortly
The annual census for the City of Red Deer will begin Friday anticipating a 3 to 4% increase over last year. In the 2005 census, the population had increased 4.2% or 3,159 citizens. Results, expected by the end of June, will help with future planning and will determine government grants.

Apr. 4, 2006
Red Deer AMA Moving to New Location
By mid-May, the Red Deer branch of the Alberta Motor Association will be moved into new premises at Southpointe Common in the space once occupied by Saan Store. The old location on Bremner has been sold.
Red Deer March Permits Value Down from Last Year
Although the number of commercial and industrial permits in March is up from last year, Red Deer's value of permits is down, mostly due to inflated values last year from several major projects. Residential, on the other hand, is very hot with over $14 million in permits issued, $2 million more than last March. So far this year, $55 million in total permits has been issued.

Apr. 2, 2006
Older Adult Housing Proposed for Sylvan Lake
Jarvis Bay Developments is proposing a four-storey condominium development for older adults and seniors of independent means in the growing town of Sylvan Lake. Named 'Savannah', the building would offer 50 units ranging in size from 1,250 to 1,850 sq. ft. Town Council recently passed first reading to rezone the land to high density residential from urban reserve.

Apr. 1, 2006
Red Deer Chamber Suggests Urgency in Resolving City/Council Disputes
The business community is urging the City and the County to develop a sense of urgency in resolving the issues of annexation and fringe development before the disputes have a negative impact on business investment in both municipalities. Not wanting to take sides, the Chamber has contacted provincial authorities in an effort to speed up the negotiations as well as encourage both municipalities to compromise a little to get the disputes settled.
Summer Games Fund Raiser Features Olympians
Several recent winter Olympians of the region, along with Red Deer native and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Ron MacLean, shared the excitement, thrills, fears and disappointments of being part of the 2006 Winter Olympics at a major fund raising event for the Alberta Summer Games to be held in Red Deer July 27-30. Olympians present at the function held at the Holiday Inn included Deidre Dionne, Melissa Hollingsworth-Richards, Regan Lauscher, Grant Albrecht, Zina Kocher and Drew Goldsack.

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