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News of the Red Deer Region
snippets and
summaries of news from local resources including media, press releases
and personal knowledge
January 2010 Part 2
Jan. 30, 2010
Economic Groups Partner to Attract
Investment
Red Deer Regional Economic Development (RDRED) and Central Alberta
Economic Partnership (CAEP) are collaborating in a campaign to diversify
and strengthen the regional economy by attracting foreign businesses
from the United States and Western Europe. Analysis has identified four
sectors would create the greatest benefit to the region --
manufacturing, transportation, logistics and agri-food processing. The
goal is to attract two companies from interviews with 20 of the most
promising leads to expand their businesses into Central Alberta. RDRED
is an economic partnership consisting of the City of Red Deer, Red Deer
County, Red Deer College and Red Deer Chamber of Commerce. CAEP is a
regional economic development alliance involving 41 member
municipalities and 13 associate organizations that promotes rural
economic development and diversification.
Travelaire
Manufacturing Plant Closes
Glendale International Corp., parent company of Travelaire Canada, has
filed for bankruptcy, and as a result, has closed the Red Deer
manufacturing plant. Travelaire has operated in Red Deer since 1966
manufacturing recreational vehicles and more recently products like
portable office trailers, medical campers, industrial skid shacks and
park model homes. The plant has had as many as 275 employees but had
around 60 at the time of the closure.
Jan. 29, 2010
Regional Trail Bridges to be Completed by
March
Two pedestrian bridges that will form part of the Central Alberta
portion of the Trans Canada Trail are expected to be finished by the end
of March. Footings for the Battle River bridge at Ponoka were placed
last fall and the five sections are expected to be erected in early
February. The trail from Ponoka to the Lacombe County boundary will be
ready for use as soon as the bridge is completed. The Ponoka project has
received $185,000 from the National Trails Coalition, $85,000 from Trans
Canada Trail, $100,000 from Alberta TrailNet and donations of private
and public land. Meanwhile the Blindman River bridge south of Blackfalds
and north of Red Deer will have the decking built by military engineers
from reserve units in Calgary and Edmonton in March. The Blindman
project has received $50,000 from the National Trails Coalition,
$100,000 from Alberta TrailNet, $51,000 from Trans Canada Trail and
$50,000 from Lacombe County. The two bridges are part of a plan to build
a 70.6 km trail between Ponoka and Penhold.
Jan. 28, 2010
Dawe Centre
Project on Time, on Budget
The $29.9 million G.H. Dawe Community and Recreation Centre
revitalization project on the north side of Red Deer is expected to open
July 1 on time and on budget after more than 18 months of construction.
The more modern and spacious facility will feature a children's play
pool, leisure pool, spray pool, large hot tub, an updated 4-lane lap
pool, two water slides, a sauna, steam room, 3 multi-purpose rooms, a
multi-use gym, fitness area and food services. The renovated and
expanded Dawe branch of the Red Deer Public Library will have a large
area for programs for children, teens and adults with a lounge area
including a fireplace and computers for internet access. The project is
being constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
standards.
Hotel Proposed for Downtown Sylvan Lake
The Sylvan Lake municipal planning commission has approved a revised
plan for the construction of a 72-room 4-storey hotel along Lakeshore
Drive downtown. The original plan was conditionally approved about 18
months ago. The exterior design has a maritime style and will include
canopied entrances on the north and south sides of the building. The
owners hope to brand the hotel as a Best Western. It is expected that
construction will start in the spring and be completed by January 2011.
Sylvan Lake Road
Transformation to Start Soon
A $24 million 5-year plan to transform a portion of Lakeshore Drive in
Sylvan Lake into a pedestrian-friendly destination recreation area is
set to get underway this summer. A couple of blocks of the road will be
temporarily closed in order to prepare for the permanent diversion of
the road one block to the south of Centennial Park. The plan includes
pedestrian promenades, new parking lots, elimination of parking on the
north side of Lakeshore Drive, improved recreational amenities and
better access to the lakefront by pedestrians. Access to merchants along
the closed sections will be maintained through the summer.
Jan. 27, 2010
Red Deer Tourism Releases 2010
Visitors
Guide
Tourism Red Deer has released their new 2010 Visitors Guide which
includes pullout maps of the region and the city trail system. The
guides will be distributed throughout the province with special emphasis
on Calgary and Edmonton as well as in key locations across Canada and in
other parts of the world. This year's guide features Central Alberta
Theatre and the Red Deer Public Market, both celebrating their 40th
anniversary.
Olds Joins Sustainable Future Network
The Town of Olds has become one of about three dozen communities in the
Sustainable Cities Plus Network, a Vancouver-based group that has
members from Canada, U.S. and other countries. The group promotes
sustainable planning and shares its experiences with other communities.
Olds was the first community to follow through on guidelines from the
Alberta Urban Municipalities Association to undertake integrated
sustainable planning and the first Fair Trade community, an initiative
that promotes buying goods at a fair price for developing nations.
Jan. 26, 2010
Trochu Wins Olympic Winter Games Podium
The town of Trochu has been named the grand prize winner in the Own the
Podium 2010 Municipalities' Challenge for communities under 40,000 by
the Canadian Olympic Foundation and, as their prize, will receive an
authentic Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games podium. The town raised
the most money per capita in their category for Olympic and Paralympic
athletes. Red Deer won the competition for communities between 80,001
and 120,000.
Quinn Expanding and Renovating New Site
Red Deer municipal planning commission has given approval for Red
Deer-based Quinn Oilfield Supply and Pumps to renovate and add about
49,000 sq. ft. to the 35,000 sq. ft. building in the Riverside Heavy
Industrial Park that the company acquired in the fall of 2008 from
Leader Energy Services who had previously purchased the property from
Canada Packers.
Jan. 25, 2010
West Country Reserves Plan
Cadet Programs
A planned cadet program for youth on the Sunchild and O'Chiese Reserves
modelled after a very successful program at Hobbema is being assisted by
the Rocky Mountain House RCMP. In Hobbema, 1,000 native youth have
participated in the cadet corps program that has helped develop pride,
self-confidence, self esteem and discipline. Once a board is set up on
the two reserves, the search for funding will begin.
Jan. 23, 2010
Rimbey Gets Funding for Pool Expansion
The federal government has announced funding of $750,000 for the $2.25
million upgrade and expansion of Rimbey's 40-year-old swimming pool
through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program. The town's
project includes the replacement of the outdoor pool tank to house a
leisure pool, junior Olympic-sized pool, waterslide, spray park, change
rooms, staff office, first aid room and storage and mechanical rooms.
Ponoka County has also pledged $500,000 towards the project. Work is
expected to begin in a few months.
Jan. 21, 2010
Realtors Optimistic After Sales Rebound
The Central Alberta Realtors Association is very optimistic about 2010
after a strong rebound in home sales during the second half of 2009.
December was the fourth busiest ever with 182 home sales through MLS in
the region of which 86 were in Red Deer and 96 in the surrounding area.
In total, 3,684 MLS-listed homes sold in Central Alberta last year at an
average price of $270,590. In Red Deer, 1,671 homes sold at an average
price of $298,581. In the surrounding area, 2,013 homes sold at an
average price of $247,354.
Jan. 20, 2010
Plasco Energy Claims It's Still on Track
Plasco Energy Group officials met with Red Deer County council yesterday
to make assurances that $95 million in financing from the federal
government is close to being secured. Construction on the $100-million,
200-tonne-a-day garbage-to-energy gasification plant to be built next to
the Horn Hill Transfer Site east of Penhold could still get underway in
the spring and be completed 18 months later. Central Waste Management
Commission, consisting of 9 municipalities, has agreed to extend its
agreement with Plasco until the end of March. Export Development Canada
is expected to provide a secured loan of $60 million and the Green
Infrastructure Fund is expected to provide a grant of $25-$35 million.
Canyon Ski Hill Could Close at End of
Season
No solid offers on the purchase and operation of Canyon Ski Hill have
been received by the company resulting in the likely closure of the
facility at the end of the season. Red Deer County and the city of Red
Deer have been negotiating an agreement to buy the 240-acre property but
have been unable to find an operator but options are still being
explored. The hill began in 1968 and currently has between 40,000-50,000
visitors each winter season.
Jan. 19, 2010
Commercial Plan Approved for Former
County Site
A 25,640 sq. ft. 20-bay commercial building has been approved by the Red
Deer municipal planning commission for a vacant site in the south part
of Red Deer that was once the site of Red Deer County offices. Sunterra
Village will have a mix of one-storey and two-storey bays and have a
strong visual impact. Construction is expected to begin in the spring
and be completed by the end of the year. The county vacated the site in
2003 when a new municipal building was constructed west of Highway 2.
The former building was demolished in 2005 and the site has been vacant
since. A medical-related building was proposed in 2006 and the site was
rezoned but the development never occurred.
Jan. 16, 2010
Red Deer Welcomes the
Olympic Flame
A crowd of around 15,000 people gathered at Westerner Park in Red Deer
yesterday evening to watch the Olympic flame ignite the cauldron as part
of a three hour ceremony celebrating the Olympic spirit. The final torch
runner was Ron Woodward, former Red Deer College president, as part of
the run through the city between the college and the celebration that
attracted several more thousand people. On a per capital basis, it is
estimated that Red Deer had one of the largest crowds in the country.
The event wrapped up with a fireworks display.
Olympic Torch Visits Central Alberta
Towns
Prior to arriving in Red Deer yesterday, several Central Alberta
communities enjoyed the opportunity of watching the Olympic torch relay,
including Ponoka, Lacombe and Sylvan Lake. Today, the torch visited
Innisfail, Bowden and Olds before heading east through Torrington,
Trochu, Three Hills and Drumheller.
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