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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).
November 2007 Part
1
November 15, 2007
Proposed Biofuel Plant Delayed
The proposed $400 million Alberta Ethanol and Biodiesel plant north of
Innisfail is not expected to go into production until the latter part of
2009 because of delays in securing necessary approvals. The most
significant delay is an industrial permit from the Alberta Energy and
Utilities Board. The plant will produce 379 million litres each of
ethanol and biodiesel annually and include a canola crush facility. The
company has agreed to spend $1 million to improve Highway 2A to
accommodate the large trucks that will be turning into the plant.
November 14, 2007
New Housing Proposed for Michener Residents
The Persons with Developmental Disabilities Board, who oversee the 289
remaining residents of Michener Centre, are recommending that the
provincial government provide $60 to $85 million for new housing. The
proposed housing would be cheaper than upgrading existing residences and
could be designed such that they eventually be converted to seniors
accommodation. Part of the proposal includes a working relationship with
the David Thompson Health Region for certain health services. The
current 200-acre north complex will eventually be closed down and the
land could possibly be sold to the city for development.
College Expansion Progressing Well
Component 1 of the Red Deer College major expansion project, expected to
cost $67 million, is progressing well with the steel skeleton structure
almost completed. The current project will house the Centre for Trades
and Technology, the Centre for Visual Art, the Centre for Business
Enterprise and the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing, all expected
to be completed by January 2009. Component 2 will have a Centre for
Regional Sports and Wellness and a Centre for Health Education. Total
cost of the entire expansion is estimated at $110 million. So far, the
provincial government has contributed $50 million and private donations
are up to $10 million.
Joint Area Structure Plan Will Be Largest in Province
The city of Red Deer and Red Deer County are embarking on a $550,000
joint area structure plan that will map growth patterns decades into the
future. Covering 140,000 acres around the city except to the immediate
south, it is believed to be the largest such plan in the province's
history. The plan will identify broad categories of land uses and
outline where future roads and services might be located. An extensive
public participation process is being planned before the final draft in
about nine months. The area to the south will be covered in a separate
Gasoline Alley Springbrook area structure plan.
County Wins Award for Gasoline Alley Plan
The Gasoline Alley Liberty Crossing Urban Design concept plan developed
by Red Deer County was awarded the 2007 Award of Excellence from the
Alberta Association of the Canadian Institute of Planners. The plan won
an honourable mention by the national Institute of Planners earlier in
the year. The plan outlines how the highway commercial strip and other
commercial areas will become the core of the new community of Liberty
Crossing consisting of 8,000 people, a town centre, parks, trails and
schools.
New Catholic School Opens in Sylvan Lake
Our Lady of the Rosary 11-classroom elementary school has opened in
Sylvan Lake with 204 pre-kindergarten to Grade 2 students. Having a
capacity of 300 students, Grade 3 will be added next year. An
8-classroom addition is expected to be needed by 2011. The students had
previously attended Ecole Mother Theresa School which now has 389 Grades
3 to 9 students.
Entry Level Northwest City Condos Approved
A 148-unit condominium complex consisting of nine 12-plexes and five
8-plexes has been approved by the Red Deer municipal planning commission
for Johnstone Park in the northwest sector of the city. Mostly
two-bedroom, the units will sell in the $185,000 to $240,000 range.
Expected buyers will range from retirees looking for smaller
accommodation to young families making the jump from rental properties.
The two-phase development, called Johnstone Landing, is expected to
begin early next year.
November 13, 2007
New City Industrial Area Site Work Proceeds
Site work has commenced on city-owned land in the process of being
annexed from Red Deer County west of Highway QE2 and south of Highway
11A for future industrial development. Queens Business Park will be the
first two to be developed of eight quarters sections of land being
annexed. A water reservoir is already under construction in the
subdivision and an area structure plan is almost complete. Once
annexation is approved, expected by the end of the month, the city will
immediately move on statutory plans, development and marketing of the
business park.
November 12, 2007
Historic Tail Creek Now Administered by Metis
The County of Stettler has officially handed over control of the Tail
Creek settlement land to the Metis Nation of Alberta, many descendents
of the original settlers. The 31-acre property near Content Bridge over
the Red Deer River is now home to a campground and two ball diamonds but
no residents. In the 1870's, the site, with a population of 2,000, was
the largest Metis settlement west of Winnipeg and three times the
population of Edmonton at the time. When the buffalo disappeared, so did
the settlement. The recreation area will continue and an interpretive
centre is planned.
Chatters Distribution Centre to Open Soon
Red Deer-based Chatters Canada will be opening its new 11,000 sq. ft.
headquarters and 15,500 sq. ft. distribution centre in Burnt Lake
Business Park currently in Red Deer County in about a month. A second
phase, expected to be completed in 2009, will add 26,000 sq. ft. of
warehousing. Chatters has a network of 82 hair salon and beauty product
outlets, mostly franchises. Another 103 outlets are expected to open by
the end of next year.
November 10, 2007
New Innisfail Seniors Lodge Gets $1.3 Million
The provincial government has given a company in Innisfail $1.3 million
to help build a new $17 million seniors lodge. The planned facility will
have 102 units, including 30 supportive living units, taking the name of
the existing 57-unit privately operated Innisfail Country Lodge. It was
built 15 years ago, first as a motel, then as seniors condominiums
before it became a seniors lodge run by Legacy West Partners Ltd. three
years ago. Construction of the new lodge is expected to start in the
spring on the same property and once built, the existing lodge may be
converted to affordable housing units. The David Thompson Health Region
will pay for staffing of the 30 supporting living units.
Average Area Housing Prices Down
The Red Deer and District Real Estate Board Co-op reports that the
average selling price of a single family home in Red Deer last month was
$339,460, down from the average $370,260 in September. In the
surrounding area, the average price in October was $273,352, down from
$289,596 the previous month but still up from the average $258,695 a
year earlier. The number of sales was down slightly from the previous
month. A more balanced market from last year is good for both buyers and
sellers reports the board. Most sales were in the $250,000 tp $350,000
range.
November 9, 2007
Open House Planned for Next City Annexation
The City of Red Deer will present its plans to annex 3,960 acres from
the county at a December 4 public open house at the 67 St. Holiday Inn
from 3 to 8 pm with presentations at 4:30 and 7. Most of the land
targeted is on the north and east side of the city with a small portion
that includes Heritage Ranch, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and the
Riverview residential subdivision. The areas were already identified for
annexation in the intermunicipal development plan adopted in the summer.
There are 166 property owners in the affected area. The city hopes to
file with the Municipal Government Board in February and receive a
favourable decision in late summer or fall 2008.
Travelaire Diversifies to Include Portable Buildings
Red Deer-based Travelaire Canada Ltd. has created a new commercial
division that will construct portable buildings for use as office space
in places like construction and well sites. An order for twenty 12 ft.
by 60 ft. units has already been received. The division may later expand
to include modular classrooms for use anywhere in the world.
Red Deer Housing Starts Drop From Last Year
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. has reported that work was started on
61 single detached houses in Red Deer last month as compared to 120 in
October 2006. Year to date, starts have totalled 873 as compared to 904
for the first 10 months of last year. There were no starts on
multi-family units in October as compared to 18 a year ago. However
there have been 485 multi-family unit starts year to date as compared to
288 for the same period in 2006. Total housing starts for the year to
October 31 are still ahead of last year.
November 8, 2007
Realtors Donate $250,000 to Hospice
The Central Alberta Realtors Charitable Foundation, a project of the Red
Deer and District Real Estate Board, recently presented a cheque for
$180,000 to the Red Deer Hospice Society and pledged an additional
$70,000 over the next five years. It is believed to be the largest gift
ever to be given by any real estate board in Alberta. The hospice
society will put the money into a managed fund operated by the Red Deer
and District Community Foundation with the interest used to augment
day-to-day operations of the hospice.
November 7, 2007
Lacombe County Offers Regional Plan
The area from Lacombe south to the Blindman and Red Deer Rivers and
around Blackfalds is covered by the proposed Lacombe/Blackfalds Rural
Fringe Area Structure Plan, developed by Lacombe County to guide future
development between the two towns. The plan favours cluster residential
development in rural areas to preserve tree stands, wildlife corridors
and other natural features. It also suggests that the area around
Blackfalds Lake should remain agricultural due to the presence of CN
rail around the lake. Once public input is reviewed, the plan will go to
county council for approval.
Oil Servicing Company Moving Head Office to Red Deer
Diversified Industries of Sidney, B.C. with operations in Edmonton is
moving its head office to Red Deer after acquiring 40% of the shares of
Red Deer-based CFR Chemicals. The company specializes in the development
and commercialization of chemical products used in the oil and gas
sector and other industries. Its lead product is a "hydrogen sulphide
scavenger" that can sweeten sour gas and oil. The move should be
completed by the end of the month.
November 6, 2007
New Curling Club Site Supported by City Council
Red Deer City Council is supporting Red Deer Curling Club's bid to build
a $4-6 million 16-sheet curling facility on vacant provincial land south
of 55 St. on the east side of the Michener Centre grounds. The club
hopes to start construction in the spring with completion in the fall of
2008. An offer to sell the existing curling rink to the Red Deer Tennis
Club for an indoor tennis facility is already being entertained.
Possible Rural RCMP Move to Blackfalds on Hold
Negotiations for the possibility of the RCMP moving its rural
headquarters from Red Deer to Blackfalds is on hold until the town
reaches a population of 5,000. When that milestone is reached, the town
will have to pay towards its own policing. The 2007 municipal census
indicated that the town is currently at a population of 4,843.
Blackfalds represents about 25% of the population that Red Deer RCMP
serves. It polices about 2,000 sq. km. including Springbrook, Clive and
Tees. The town will also have the option of having its own police force
or contracting another police force such as Lacombe.
November 5, 2007
Sylvan Lake to Take Over 2 Provincial Highways
Provincial highways 11A and 781 that run through the town of Sylvan Lake
will soon become the responsibility of the town resulting in better
maintenance and better lake quality. Alberta Infrastructure and
Transportation will pay the town $3.3 million to upgrade the roads and
improve storm water management as part of the transfer agreement.
Currently storm water and snow melt from the street runs into the lake
but new curbs and gutters will direct the storm water into an improved
system. Part of the upgrade will include the relocation of Lakeshore
Drive and removal of street parking. A shuttle service may also be
started. Eventually the town will also take over the provincial park
within the town as part of lakefront redevelopment and additional green
space.
City Cultural Master Plan Reviewed by Cultural Leaders
Several individuals from the cultural and tourism community as well as
local officials met on Saturday to review and discuss the progress of
the city's culture master plan developed six years ago. A steering
committee will host an open house in the spring and conduct interviews
to determine priorities of the community. Several themes emerged from
the workshop ranging from musical theatre to bike paths and tourist
destinations. Ideas included more involvement with downtown projects and
designating Rotary Park as a cultural hub.
November 2, 2007
Office Tower Pushes Up City Building Permit Values
A $27 million permit for a 12-storey downtown office tower by Beca
International pushed the October city building permit value to $45
million and boosted the year to date total to almost $403 million, well
ahead of last year's total for the first 10 months at $216 million.
Another major permit was issued for a $7.4 million 95-unit apartment
building in Lonsdale. The city issued 187 residential permits in October
for a value of $15.7 million compared to $12.4 million in the same month
a year ago.
CMHC Predicts Drop in Housing Starts and Sales
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is predicting a 10% drop in
housing starts in Red Deer in 2008. They are projecting 1,700 this year,
compared to 1,429 in 2006 and predicting 1,525 in 2008. For single
detached homes, CMHC is projecting 1,125 starts this year compared to
1,095 in 2006 and predicting 1,050 next year. For multi-family units,
they are projecting 575 this year compared to 334 in 2006 and predicting
475 in 2008.
November 1, 2007
Red Deer Historical Buildings to be Photographed
Homes and businesses in the city that are more than 50 years old will be
photographed over the next few weeks as part 1 of the Red Deer
Historical Site Survey. About 450 selected buildings are expected to be
documented including the areas of downtown, Parkvale, Waskasoo, West
Park, Riverside Meadows (formerly north Red Deer), Michener Hill,
Grandview, Mountview and Fairview. Much of old Red Deer was demolished
to make room for growth from the 1950's to 1980's. Part 2 of the project
will investigate whether the documented buildings have historical value.
A similar survey will be done in Red Deer County.
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