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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).
July 2008 Part 2
July 31, 2008
Design Consultant Hired for Downtown Parkade
The city has hired a design consultant to determine what kind of parkade
can be built over the downtown transit terminal. Parkade foundations
were built at the time the terminal was constructed in 2002 but the
parkade itself was shelved due to insufficient financing. John Murray
Architect will determine the capacity and cost of the structure which is
expected to be completed by 2010. Current office construction is
expected to increase the demand for parking which is already under
pressure.
Penhold Annexation Makes History
The town of Penhold's recent annexation approval that doubled its size,
marks the first time in the town's 104-year history that land has been
added to the municipality. The addition is expected to supply sufficient
land for decades and provides the opportunity for the town of 2,000 to
balance its land use as there has been a lack of industrial and
commercial space. The new land is in both the north and south of the
town and much of it will be for residential development already in the
planning stage.
July 30, 2008
Red Deer Environmentalists Honoured Posthumously
Red Deer city council has honoured two environmentalists by naming
facilities after them. The Michael O'Brien Constructed Wetland in a new
subdivision in the northeast part of the city was named after a
long-time Red Deer River Naturalist and founding member of the Ellis
Bird Farm who died in 1997. The Bob Johnstone Trail was named after a
trail developer who died in 2006, a member of Alberta TrailNet and
Central Alberta Regional Trails and worked on the city's Bicycle and
Gaetz Avenue Master Plans.
National Magazine Names Sylvan Lake in Top 3 Destinations
Trailer Boating Canada magazine has named Sylvan Lake as one of the
country's choice trailer boating destinations. The publication lists the
fishing, recreational and boat launch opportunities in the area as well
as a profile of the town lauding its charm and amenities.
July 29, 2008
City Council Approves New Downtown Police Building
A new $30 million downtown police station was approved by Red Deer city
council despite costing $1.3 million more than budgeted, in part so the
building's second floor can be roughed in for future expansion. The
87,000 sq. ft. building, to be constructed on 51 Ave. and 45 St., will
be more than triple the size of the current 26,000 sq. ft. building that
was built in 1967 across from city hall. Construction is expected to
start this year and be completed in 2010. The second floor will likely
be needed in about 7 years.
West Red Deer Assisted Living Condos Approved
Red Deer municipal planning commission has approved a 4-storey, 218-unit
assisted living condominium building in west part of the city near Hwys.
2 and 11. The project consists of 157 one-bedroom, 61 two-bedroom suites
and a family restaurant that would serve residents and the public in
separate dining rooms. The building is designed to serve the needs of
older people who want assistance with tasks like cleaning, laundry and
meal preparation. The first of two phases, which includes the
restaurant, is expected to start construction in the fall and be
completed 14 months later costing an estimated $23 million.
Westerner Administration Building Approved
Red Deer municipal planning commission has approved a 12,600 sq. ft.
administration building for the Westerner Exposition Association to be
located at the northeast corner of the grounds. The building is expected
to cost between $2.5 to $3 million and named the Donald Administration
Building in recognition of the $1.5 million donation by Jack and Joan
Donald. It is the key component of the first phase of a long-term
expansion plan for Westerner Park. The first phase also includes new
entrance gates, expansion of the north parking lot, relocation of the
Chalet building and realignment of Pioneer Park where the amphitheatre
is located. Long-term plans include the addition of 115 acres, new
conference and convention facilities, increased trade and exhibition
space, a grandstand and possibly a hotel.
July 28, 2008
City CentreFest Street Festival Enjoys 6th Year
The sixth annual two-day downtown Red Deer CentreFest, which saw
jugglers, comedians, acrobats and musicians from all over the world
perform on Gaetz Ave. and Ross St. for two days of free-form,
pass-the-hat-style entertainment, enjoyed another successful year over
the weekend in spite of it being cut short by a couple of hours due to a
sudden thunderstorm Sunday. This year, 18 performers came from
Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Thailand, the U.S. and various parts of
Canada. The event usually attracts around 15,000 people each year.
Red Deer Memorial Centre Facelift to Start Soon
Central Alberta Theatre (CAT) plans to start a $700,000 renovation this
summer of the 60-year-old Memorial Centre theatre in Red Deer. The
concession and lobby areas will be done first. Double doors will be
installed in the auditorium to reduce lobby noise. The biggest
improvement will be replacing the 775 wooden seats that were installed
in 1953. The project will be phased over the next couple of years.
July 26, 2008
Innisfail Police Dogs Preparing for Olympics
A group of dogs at the RCMP Dog Training Centre south of Innisfail are
being groomed for duty at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. A film
production company is getting set to do a documentary for Animal Planet
on the breeding, rearing, selection and training of dogs for security
purposes. It will show Canadian taxpayers the benefits of the dog
training program that costs about $80,000 to train one dog and handler.
In 2005 service dogs helped locate and save 69 people who would have
died otherwise. Public demonstrations are put on at the centre every
Wednesday afternoon during the summer.
Affordable Housing in Stettler Making Progress
The town of Stettler has approved a tender for a $2.5 million, 18-unit
apartment complex that will improve the housing for entry-level workers
or workers without too high of an income. The province requires the town
to rent the units at one-third of the market value to qualify for
funding. Construction has already started and is expected to be
completed by next spring. In addition, six three-bedroom affordable
duplexes offering 12 new rental units are nearing completion intended
for people with incomes between $19,000 and $37,000.
July 25, 2008
Two More Annexations Get Provincial Approval
The town of Innisfail is now officially 1,531 acres larger retroactively
effective June 1 and the town of Penhold is now officially 790 acres
larger effective May 1 as a result of provincial approval announced
Monday. It represented the third annexation from Red Deer County
approved this month. The province announced July 8 that the town of
Bowden grew by 247 acres effective June 1. There were three other
annexation approvals during the past year involving the city of Red Deer
and the villages of Delburne and Elnora. One other annexation by the
city for 7,482 acres is expected next year as it conforms with the
Intermunicipal Development Plan adopted by both the city and the county
last year.
July 24, 2008
Red Deer County Reveals Open Space and Trails Plan
At an open house yesterday, Red Deer County revealed some of the
long-term plans for trails, parks and other open spaces to take
advantage of the natural beauty of different areas of the county. It is
part of the Open Spaces Master Plan that has been a process that started
in 2005. Seven project zones have been identified including the C & E
Zone (a north-south central corridor connecting with other zones that
includes the 3.6 km Penhold-Springbrook Trail, already approved), the
CPR Zone (along the abandoned Alberta Central Railway corridor
connecting Benalto, Sylvan Lake and Red Deer), the Ghost Pine Zone (an
east-west corridor that links Penhold with Pine Lake and east), the
Medicine River Zone (a north-south corridor linking Gleniffer Lake with
Spruce View and historic sites at Dickson and Markerville), the
Bowden-Dickson Zone (linking the C & E Zone with the Medicine River
Zone), the Boomtown Zone (a north-south corridor along Highway 21
linking Delburne and Elnora with the Ghost Pine Zone), and the Palliser
Zone (east of Red Deer linking the city with the Joffre bridge). The
plan will go before county council by December.
July 23, 2008
Large Industrial Firms Locating in Blackfalds
Two new Blackfalds industrial operations are expected to create 250 new
jobs in an industrial park created northeast of the intersection of
Highways 2A and 597. Cord WorleyParsons has already constructed an
office complex, shop and storage trailers on a 15-acre site and expects
to start operations on August 1, employing up to 150 people with an
additional 50-75 contract workers. The modularization and fabrication
facility will supply equipment to oilsands and other customers. Wajax
Industries will operate out of a 31,000 sq. ft. building on a 6-acre
site, distributing and servicing heavy equipment for a variety of
industries. It will be the company's largest facility in Western Canada.
Construction is expected to begin in August and be completed by next
spring. The 65-acre fully-serviced Blackfalds Industrial Park is zoned
heavy industrial.
Facts Released from City Census
Early in July, it was revealed that the city had increased its
population to 87,816 from 85,705 in 2007, representing a 2.46% increase
and over 2,000 people. Historically, the city's biggest percentage jump
was in the five year period 1901-1906 when the population exploded by
429% (ave. 86% per year) representing an increase of 1,710 people (ave.
342 people per year). Red Deer's most recent census also indicate that
the largest demographic in the city is aged 20-24 (with the largest
group of females), followed by 25-29 (with the largest group of males).
However, the average age of females is 34 while the average age of males
is 32. West Park/Riverlands, Oriole Park and Lancaster neighbourhoods
had the largest populations. The Cental area saw the biggest drop in
residents, followed by South Hill and Morrisroe.
Springbrook Infrastructure Rehabilitation Well Under Way
The first phase of replacing aging storm sewer, sanitary sewer and
selected water pipes in the hamlet of Springbrook is well under way. As
much of it was built by the military in 1953, there are no dependable
drawings of the existing system which has resulted in finding lines
where there should have been none and not finding lines where they
should be. Meanwhile, Red Deer County council has approved the awarding
of a contract for phase 2 which is expected to get started in two weeks.
Funding for phase 2 comes from a $2.5 million grant from Alberta
Infrastructure. Last December, $6 million was received from the
Canada-Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund toward the $11.5
million project.
Heritage Ranch Cafe Now Open
Heritage Ranch Cafe began serving patrons on Monday, offering everything
from muffins and cookies to homemade soup and sandwiches, chili and
pasta. The eatery also has a breakfast menu. Visitors to the nearby
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum as well as Tourism Red Deer are
expected to use the facility as well as people walking, bicycling,
cross-country skiing or horseback riding using the Waskasoo Park trail
system. The cafe expects to be open year round and is open until 4 pm
daily.
July 22, 2008
Well-Known Innisfail Kissing Bear Dies at 27
Innisfail's Wildlife Discovery Park has lost one of its star
attractions, the gentle Kodiak bear known as 'Ali Oop', as a result of a
foot infection caused by a piece of metal smaller than a paper clip. The
bear was well-known for his appearance in several feature films and for
kissing visitors after his retirement in 2004. Ali Oop's screen credits
include 'Dr. Doolittle 2', 'Wild America', 'The Last Trapper', 'Trueheart'
and a number of television commercials. He was 27 years old, equivalent
to 80 in human years.
July 21, 2008
Westerner Days a Record Breaker
This year's Westerner Days set an all-time attendance record with 90,757
people taking in the 5-day annual event. Saturday's attendance of 24,729
set an all-time high for a single day, 1,700 more than the previous
record for the day set in 1998. Sunday set a record for that day with
16,210 while Friday set an all-time low for that day with only 16,655
attending due intermittent rain downpours. The exhibition included a
large range of displays, a variety of entertainment including concerts,
livestock shows, chuckwagon races, fireworks and an extensive midway.
Starting this year and over the next three years, the first phase of the
Westerner's strategic plan will get underway with the construction of a
new administration building, adding parking, realigning the entrance and
add a new 75,000 sq. ft. trade and exhibition facility. Another key
feature of the strategic plan is the building of a new grandstand.
July 18, 2008
Unique Michener Fire Brigade Coming to an End
On Sept. 12 the Michener Centre Fire Brigade, Alberta's last
institutional fire department, will come to an end and its
responsibilities will be taken over by Red Deer Emergency Services.
Michener Centre opened its doors in Red Deer in 1923. Then known as the
Provincial Training School, it served as an institution for people with
developmental disabilities. In the early years, the city's fire brigade
helped the staff put out fires. The facility got its own fire services
in 1954, around the same time it was renamed Alberta School Hospital Red
Deer. By the late 1970s, the facility was renamed Michener Centre. At
its height, the fire department was responsible for 2,000 residents and
55 buildings on more than 300 acres. The facilities have been downsizing
for the past several years and now has about 250 residents. The
20-year-old red pumper truck will be passed on to Service Alberta. In
June 2003, the department responded to Michener's most serious fire when
lightening struck the peak of the 90-year-old South Administration
Building. With the assistance of the city and county fire departments,
it took 11 hours to put out. That historic building is currently being
restored and will be used as the corporate centre for the David Thompson
Health Region.
July 17, 2008
Symphony Season Tickets Sold Out
Of the 550 seats in the Red Deer College Arts Centre, 450 reserved for
season ticket holders for the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra's 2008-2009
season have been sold out in record time. The remaining tickets aren't
expected to last very long. The orchestra is made up of professional
musicians from across the province. The orchestra's music director
believes that a new concert venue, possibly double the size of the
college's arts centre, needs to be established in the city as many
bookings for a variety of performances have reached or exceeded
capacity.
Lakeshore Campgrounds Doing Brisk Business
In spite of an apparent reduction in the number of Americans coming to
Central Alberta this year, campgrounds, especially those near the
region's major lakes, are doing a brisk business this summer. Operators
at campgrounds near Sylvan Lake, Gull Lake, Buffalo Lake, Pine Lake and
Glennifer Lake are reporting that their facilities are at capacity on
weekends and near capacity during the week. Much of the shortfall from
U.S. tourists have been made up by local campers who have decided to
spend their vacation or weekends closer to home, partly as a result of
the higher price of gas.
July 16, 2008
New Sylvan Lake Shopping Centre to Open First Store
The new 11-acre Ryders Square Shopping Centre on the southeast side of
the town of Sylvan Lake welcomes its first store with the opening of the
Shoppers Drug Mart. The 14,000 sq. ft. store will offer a full-service
beauty department, a food and beverage section, digital photo processing
services, a nutrition centre and health and wellness seminars. The
26,000 sq. ft. Sobeys grocery store is expected to open in mid-September
as is the 4,500 sq. ft. Royal Bank. Also expected to open in the fall
are several tenants in a 13,000 sq. ft. building on the site. Another
7,400 multi-tenant building is expected to be under construction soon.
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