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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).
September 2008 Part
1
Sept. 15, 2008
Red Deer Organizations Focus on Traffic Safety
City law enforcement agencies and a wide range of organizations are
getting the message out during Red Deer Traffic Safety Week to make
people more aware of the dangers on the road. Red Deer had more than
4,500 motor vehicle collisions last year with more than $1,000 in
damage. That compares to 3,761 collisions in 2006 and 3,132 in 2005.
Part of the increase relates to more cars on the road and the fact that
more collisions now cost more than $1,000 to repair. The biggest factor
however is people not paying attention. There are also still a
significant number of drivers that are impaired. The city earlier
launched the Traffic Safety Action Plan that focused on seat belt usage,
impaired driving, aggressive driving, vulnerable road users and winter
road conditions and some positive results have been noted including the
increased usage of seat belts. Organizations involved in Traffic Safety
Week include Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Safe Communities Central
Alberta, Alberta Motor Association, Red Deer Emergency Services, David
Thompson Health Region and others.
Stettler County Questions Glennifer Lake Development
The reeve of Stettler County has expressed concerns that if development
continues at Glennifer Lake, several kilometres upstream, recreational
users will have more control over how water levels are regulated, which
could put water supplies downstream at risk. There are also concerns
about contamination in the reservoir if a significant amount of
development occurs that will have to be dealt with downstream. The
Glennifer Lake reservoir was developed from the construction of the
Dickson Dam in 1983 to ensure a good supply of water for downstream
communities and manage inter-provincial water agreements. Red Deer
County is currently in the process of creating the Glennifer Lake Reservoir Shorelands
Area Structure Plan.
Sept. 13, 2008
Hotel and Convention Centre Sold for $40 Million
The Capri Hotel and Convention Centre in south Red Deer, at the corner
of Gaetz Avenue and 32 Street, is being sold for $40 million to Temple
Real Estate Investment Trust in a deal that is expected to close
November 1. An additional $8 million will be invested in an eight month
renovation project. The company will then license the facility as the
Sheraton Red Deer Convention and Meeting Centre in September 2009 and is
expected to be one of the top hotels in Western Canada. The Capri Motor
Inn was built in 1961 and bought by Al Pasutto in 1964. It was expanded
several times and the 14-storey tower was built in 1981. The facility
includes 218 guest rooms, 22 suites, 3 restaurants, 3 lounges, 16
meeting rooms with the largest able to accommodate 1,000 people, outdoor
parking able to accommodate 1,200 vehicles, outdoor heated swimming
pool, hair salon, gift shop, clothing store and liquor store.
Proposed Nordegg Trail Moves to Next Stage
Clearwater County council this week chose Rimbey-based Armstrong
Consulting to look into various aspects of creating a multi-use trail on
an abandoned railbed between Rocky Mountain House and the historic
townsite of Nordegg. The county hopes to create a trail that will
accommodate all types of users including ATVs, horse-riders, hikers and
bikers. The challenge will be to get the different users to share the
trail in a safe and enjoyable way. The consultant will also be looking
at the possibility of building campgrounds along the trail to
accommodate horses and quads. It is hoped that construction could start
as early as next spring.
Red Deer College Rebrands Itself
Red Deer College has announced its new branding that includes a new logo
with RDC in black, representing confidence, and an arch of green,
representing sustainability and balance, above it. The arch suggests
movement, the horizon and the future. There is also a new tag line:
"when you get here you understand". Promotional materials and stationery
will start to reflect the change over the next few months. Signage will
begin to change this fall and continue through to the fall of 2010.
Sept. 12, 2008
United Way Sets $2 Million Goal
The 2008 United Way campaign kicked off Thursday with a luncheon that
attracted 600 people and the announcement of its lofty goal this year of
$2 million, about 11% higher than what was achieved last year. The 2007
campaign raised $1.78 million of which $1.4 million was invested
directly into community organizations.
New City Downtown Police Building Project Under Way
The new $30 million Red Deer RCMP downtown detachment building at 45
Street and 51 Avenue is now under construction. The two-storey facility
will be over 8,000 sq. metres, about 3 times larger than the existing
building on 49 Street south of city hall and the library. The new
headquarters will have a much expanded cell block, exhibition area,
meeting rooms and foyer. It has also been designed to LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. About 880 sq. metres on
the second floor will be shelled in only and will be completed when
needed. Actual construction costs are pegged at $22.5 million with the
remainder of the budget set for design, engineering, furnishings and
start-up expenses. The project is expected to be completed in the third
quarter of 2010.
Sept. 11, 2008
Steel Storage Container Company Sets Up Near City
Big Steel Box, based in Salmon Arm B.C., has set up an outlet in the
Burnt Lake Industrial Park west of the city and Highway QE2 to sell and
rent steel storage containers. There is room at the site for about 200
of the storage containers that range in length from 2.4 metres to 14.4
metres. Although the company started out renting used containers, most
of the units are now new and are used by farmers, oilpatch and
construction companies as well as homeowners on the move.
Sept. 10, 2008
Plasco Plant Plan Details Expected in November
Plasco Energy expects to have detailed plans for the construction of its
garbage gasification plant ready by November. The company plans to build
its first commercial operation at a site south of Red Deer where it will
serve members of the Central Waste Management Commission. Plasco's
system of plasma gasification extracts synthetic gas from organic waste,
plastics and other household trash. The gas is used to generate
electricity while the resulting solid byproduct can be used in road and
construction materials. The commission member communities have been
given until the end of September to determine how much waste they can
commit to the plant which, in turn, will determine the size of the
plant, a 200 or 300 tonne facility.
Treed Wetland near Pine Lake to be Preserved Forever
A quarter section of wilderness land northeast of Pine Lake that
contains a 45-acre natural wetland pond will be preserved forever as a
result of an agreement announced yesterday. EnCana Corp. announced on
the privately-owned land that they have donated $1 million to Ducks
Unlimited to restore and conserve wetlands over the next five years. Jim
and Bonnie Potter are among 15 property owners in the Pine Lake-Buffalo
Lake areas who have put caveats on their property titles to preserve
natural features. Ducks Unlimited helps make this possible by giving
these landowners some financial compensation for the money they will
lose when they resell the land that is permanently taken out of
production. The non-profit organization also reclaims and restores
wetlands in addition to conducting research and providing education. The
Potters frequently give nature tours on the 90-acre parcel of land to
Scouts and Junior Forest Wardens as well as anyone interested in seeing
a wide diversity of vegetation, wildlife and birds.
Sept. 9, 2008
Downtown Arts and Culture Centre Conditionally Sold
Non-profit group Culture Link is moving forward with plans to sell the
downtown Scott Block to a private buyer on condition that the new owner
ensures a minimum of 7,000 sq. ft. will be used for arts and culture
use. The City of Red Deer had previously invested $230,000 in the
centre. Red Deer city council decided to place a caveat on the property
for 10 years to protect its interest by ensuring that the city's
objectives are maintained. Culture Link bought the historic building in
2005 but has struggled with increased costs and fewer tenants than
expected. The new owner, who has not been revealed, supports the arts
and downtown.
City Schools See Record Enrolment
Both the Red Deer public and Catholic school divisions have record
enrolment numbers this year. Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division
has 6,318 students, an increase of 1.2% from last year, spread
throughout the grade levels. Red Deer Public Schools have reached 9,970
students, a 2% increase overall from last year, especially evident at
the elementary level with a more than 4% increase. Early Childhood
Services is up 6% from last year and was up 14% the previous year. The
growth has suggested that a new elementary school is needed in the
southeast part of the city where most of the growth has occurred.
Between 12 and 18 new teaching positions have been created this year.
Middle and high school enrolments have remained constant.
Expropriation Begun for Intersection Improvements
Red Deer city council approved the beginning of proceedings for the
expropriation of lands for the $13 million improvements at the
intersection of Gaetz Avenue and 32 Street, already under way. In the
meantime, negotiations will continue with the six landowners affected.
Sept. 8, 2008
Alberta Arts Day Celebrated at Red Deer College
Red Deer College celebrated Alberta Arts Day Saturday with a variety of
activities including ceramics demonstrations, music, an open rehearsal
of a play and displays of student work. This was the first year for this
particular event, supported by Alberta Culture and Community Spirit.
Other arts venues in the city also participated in the celebration. Over
the past 25 years, there has been significant growth in visual arts,
theatre and music.
Lacombe Museums Receive Official Designation
The Michener House Museum and Archives and the Blacksmith Shop Museum,
both located in Lacombe, are the latest in Alberta to get the recognized
museum designation from the Alberta Museums Association, qualifying them
for some additional funding. Both operations are located in their
original locations and are in need of some upkeep. The Michener House
museum is a wooden house from 1894 where former governor general Roland
Michener was born. The Blacksmith Shop, built in 1902, hosts regular
demonstrations and is considered the province's oldest operating
blacksmith.
Sept. 6, 2008
Canyon Ski Area Will be Open This Winter
In spite of the Canyon Ski Area being up for sale and health challenges
in the family that owns the popular facility, it will open as usual this
winter with season pass sales and program registrations beginning on
October 1. The city and Red Deer County have been talking with the
owners about ways to ensure the 240-acre site is maintained for skiing
and snowboarding and not developed for housing once sold.
Sept. 5, 2008
County to Buy Bus for Gasoline Alley Service
Red
Deer County council approved Tuesday the purchase of a $432,400
transit bus and a $67,200 action bus expected to be delivered by next
July. Funding will mostly come from a grant from the provincial
Municipal Sustainability Initiative. The county expects an annual
operating cost of $60,000 to subsidize the service and Red Deer Transit
will operate it. The transit bus will run between Bower Shopping Centre
in Red Deer, Gasoline Alley and Springbrook/Airport on an hourly basis
six days a week. The action bus is expected to be used throughout the
County for those who need medical access to facilities or have other
special needs.
Sept. 4, 2008
Incoming Chamber President Urges Members to Get Involved
Red Deer Chamber of Commerce incoming president Mike Axworthy described
the benefits of members getting more involved in policy committees and
on the board at a chamber luncheon yesterday. He described the various
policy committees that include agriculture, civic affairs, energy,
environment, finance and taxation, health and education, labour force
and transportation. The chamber currently has about 1,000 members.
Sept. 3, 2008
Red Deer to Contribute 20% of Garbage to Plasco
The city will commit 20% of its trash to the Plasco Energy plant that
will transform garbage into different byproducts including electricity.
The rest will go to the landfill or be recycled. The $100 million plant
will be built at no cost to Central Alberta taxpayers likely close to
Red Deer County's Horn Hill Waste Transfer site east of Highway 2 near
Highway 42. Construction is expected to start next spring and finished
in 2010. As part of the deal, the 15 member municipalities of the
Central Waste Management Commission have agreed to provide 200-300
tonnes of trash daily. Plasco will charge municipalities $65 per tonne
in tipping fees. The gasification process involves putting the garbage
into a chamber where it is vapourized (not burned) at around 8,000 C.
County Approves Hotel for Gasoline Alley
Red Deer County approved yesterday a mid-priced 111-room, 4-storey
Hampton Inn on a 2-acre site in west Gasoline Alley south of the city.
The hotel chain is owned by Hilton Hotels which has more than 2,800
hotels worldwide. There are currently four Hampton Inns in Alberta
including two in Calgary and one each in Edmonton and Leduc. It is the
second major hotel project proposed for the area in the last few months.
North Sylvan Lake RV Park Downscaled
The proposed Skyy Country Golf and RV Resort two km north of Sylvan Lake
has scaled back the number of RV lots by about 20% due to some concerns
about density and traffic from the neighbouring Sunbreaker Cove. There
are now 420 seasonal/year-round lots instead of the 667 previously
planned and there will be 97 overnight lots. The overnight area includes
a sports field, beach volleyball and tennis courts, mini-golf, water
park and children's fish pond. A nine-hole, par-three golf course will
run through the middle of the seasonal camping area.
City Building Permits Continue Slower Pace
The city of Red Deer issued building permits in August valued at $16.3
million, down from $46 million for the same month in 2007. This
continues the trend this year relative to last year's record pace.
Residential construction was down to $7.2 million compared to $25.8
million in August 2007. Commercial permits this August were at $1.8
million compared to $5.1 million last year, industrial permits were at
$2.1 million compared to $8.1 million and public sector permits were at
$5.3 million compared to $7 million. Among the bigger projects approved
in August were a $5.2 million modernization project for St. Thomas
Aquinas School and two industrial buildings each valued at $1 million in
the Burnt Lake Business Park. Year to date, total permits were valued at
$186.4 million compared to $337.5 million for the same period last year.
Non-Profit Coffee House Opens in Blackfalds
The After the Grind Coffee House has opened in Blackfalds. The
non-profit enterprise is planned to support local and international
causes and act as a meeting place for members of the community. The
owners are directors of Youth With a Mission, an international ministry
that provides training in areas like Bible study and leadership
development. Internationally, profit from the business is expected to
help develop an AIDS hospital in India and malaria clinics in Central
America. Locally, funds are planned to focus on youth and children's
programs.
Sept. 2, 2008
Local Tourism Boosted by High Gas Prices
High fuel prices are keeping local tourists closer to home which in turn
is having a positive effect on local tourism operators. Several
tourist-oriented businesses are reporting a very busy summer with 50-75%
of visitors coming from the Calgary-Edmonton corridor and Central
Alberta. Tourism Red Deer has noticed a dramatic increase in visitors
this year with at least 80% coming from within the province. A strong
economy, good weather and the cost of fuel has boosted local and
regional events including Westerner Days, CentreFest and the Central
Alberta Music Festival.
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