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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
April 2010 Part 2
Apr. 30, 2010
United Way Allocates $1.5 Million in
Funds
The United Way of Central Alberta will distribute $1.1 million among 32
local non-profit agencies this year. Another $400,000 will go toward
special challenging issues facing the community as well as volunteer and
administrative development and efficiencies.
Apr. 29, 2010
Three Arts and Culture
Groups Merge
The Red Deer and District Allied Arts Council, Cultural Charter Partners
and Cultural Development Association, three groups representing several
arts and culture organizations and individuals, have merged to create
the Red Deer Arts Council. The new council will represent several
visual, performing and literary arts groups, various cultural groups and
individual artists. Its divers members include the Red Deer Symphony
Orchestra, Ignition Theatre, CultureLink!, Artwalk, Central Alberta
Theatre, Prime Stock Theatre, Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery,
Sunnybrook Farm, Red Deer Highland Games Association, Red Deer Public
Library and several others. The inclusive organization will reduce
confusion, make marketing easier and streamline funding requests.
Changes to Some Area Provincial
Campgrounds
The 8-site Raven Provincial Recreation Area, about 15 km east of
Caroline, will be closed and the Cottonwood Campground at Glennifer Lake
will be converted to day use from overnight camping as part of a
provincial cost-cutting plan of underused facilities. The plan will
affect about 2% of Alberta's 500 provincial parks.
Apr. 28, 2010
Campaign Promotes Local Economy
The Red Deer Chamber of Commerce, Central Alberta Realtors Association,
Red Deer Region Economic Development, Central Alberta Home Builders and
Red Deer Tourism are working together to persuade consumers and
businesses to first consider local options when making their purchasing
decisions. Local:First was first launched in January 2009 to promote a
positive image of the region in the midst of the global economic
downturn.
Apr. 27, 2010
Divisions Collaborate on New
Schools in Region
The Red Deer Public School Division, Red Deer Catholic Regional School
Division, Chinook's Edge School Division and Conseil scolaire
Centre-Nord have worked with Alberta Education and Alberta
Infrastructure to produce a study for the construction of new schools.
The $40.5 million plan recommends a public elementary school in the
Aspen Ridge area in east Red Deer, a Catholic elementary school in Red
Deer, a kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school to replace Ecole La Prairie and
a Grade 7-12 regional high school outside of Red Deer to replace River
Glen School which would become Gateway Christian school. The four school
divisions are hoping funding will be available in the near future for
the projects.
Lacombe to Become
City This Year
Lacombe town council has voted unanimously to move forward with changing
its status from town to city by September of this year. The town of
about 12,000 people must apply for the status change to the provincial
minister of municipal relations. There is expected to be no change to
quality of life in the community but the change will demonstrate its
progressive future. Substantial upgrades to Highway 2A will be made by
the province after which the new city will become responsible for the
roadway. In Alberta, a town can apply for city status any time after it
reaches a population of 10,000.
Apr. 24, 2010
Rocky Co-op to Build at Commercial Centre
Rocky Mountain House Co-op Association has purchased two acres at the
north end of Gateway Crossing commercial centre located at the
intersection of Highway 11 and 52 Street for a gas bar, convenience
store, touchless car wash and liquor store. Gateway Crossing, at the
former Will Sinclair High School site, already has several stores
operating including Shoppers Drug Mart and Tim Hortons. The Co-op
operates a shopping centre at another location, a building centre, a
bulk fuel plant, gas bar and convenience store, all of which will
continue.
New Water Storage Tank for
Rimbey
The town of Rimbey has started construction of a new $4.5 million,
71,000 cubic foot, 100-foot round storage tank to increase water supply
and improve water pressure. Two-thirds of the funding is coming from the
Canada Alberta Building Canada Fund through the Economic Action Plan.
The tank is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Energy Companies Assist With
Crimson Lake
Park
Crimson Lake Provincial Park, 16 km northwest of Rocky Mountain House,
will be able to host environmental education programs for school groups,
interpretive programs for summer visitors and outreach programs to the
community as a result of investments by two energy companies, Suncor
Energy and Encana.
Lacombe County Contributes to
Town
Projects
Lacombe County is contributing almost $400,000 toward several town of
Lacombe recreational projects including replacement of the ice pad in
the local arena, upgrading the tennis courts and replacing a fence
around the Memorial Centre Lest We Forget Park.
Apr. 23, 2010
High School at Ponoka to be Modernized
An $11 million renovation and modernization project is set to get under
way in September at Ponoka Composite High School. It will include an
updating of mechanical and electrical systems, a redesign of the
entranceway and administration area, new integrated instructional
technology and increased student comfort. The 2-year first phase will
concentrate on the humanities area, library, resource centre, student
services area and administration offices. The school was originally
built in 1966 with renovations in the late 1980s. The new upgrades were
planned in the early 2000s but there was insufficient funding to proceed
at the time.
New Riverlands Office Building to Open
Soon
The new 2-storey 18,000 sq. ft. Riverlands Gate Business Centre at the
southwest corner of Taylor Drive and 45 Street is nearly fully leased
and is expected to receive its first tenants in a few weeks. Tenants
include Sunreal Property Management, LifeLegacy Wealth Management and
Proverus Chartered Accountants.
Apr. 22, 2010
Median Barriers Being Installed on
Highway 2
A $8.2 million project to install post-and-cable barriers in the median
of Highway 2 for 124 km from Airdrie to Red Deer is under way and is
expected to be completed by mid-June. The barrier system includes
collapsible posts threaded with flexible steel cables. When a car goes
into the median, fewer injuries occur than from traditional steel
guardrail or concrete barriers as the cables are more forgiving yet they
trap the out-of-control vehicle in place. A test of the system in
Calgary resulted in no collisions with opposing traffic.
Sylvan Lake Lakeshore Improvements Resume
The next stage of an ambitious $24 million facelift along the lakeshore
in the town of Sylvan Lake is getting under way. The current $7 million
project includes the expansion of Centennial Park, improvements to the
lakeshore walking areas and the relocation a block south of a 4-block
stretch of Lakeshore Drive. During the summer tourist season, at least
one lane of Lakeshore Drive will remain open as will the playground at
the park and businesses along the lakeshore. Some parking will be
diverted to other areas during construction.
Museum and Art Gallery Focuses on
Food
The newly-renovated Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery has two photo
exhibits exploring how various world cultures and local families handle
food consumption. In 'Hungry Planet', a total of 30 families from 24
countries posed with a week's worth of groceries that features
everything from American fast food to waterside markets in Mali from
which 48 photos from 12 countries are displayed at the museum. In 'Red
Deer Eats', three local families are photographically featured as well
as the food bank showing a typical week's groceries in a similar fashion
to the other exhibit.
Improvements to City Outdoor
Pool Under
Way
The 5-metre diving platform and the 3-metre springboard at the outdoor
swimming pool adjacent to the downtown Red Deer Recreation Centre are
being refurbished for use this summer. The platform has been closed
since 2007 and the springboard was closed last year due to deterioration
of the concrete.
Apr. 20, 2010
Minor Traffic Change Around
Cenotaph Park
The new Veterans Park to be constructed this summer around the Cenotaph
in downtown Red Deer will create some minor changes to traffic patterns
but little disruption is expected. One of the four 49 Avenue through
drive lanes immediately east of the new 12-storey Executive Place will
be closed in that block only for a portion of the park. The existing jog
along Ross Street that has been in place since construction began on
Executive Place in the summer of 2007 will be retained. The park is
expected to be completed by Remembrance Day in November.
Apr. 19, 2010
Hollingsworth Will Make Run at Russian
Olympics
Olympian Melissa Hollingsworth, 29, from the Eckville area spoke to
about 200 people at a free community breakfast in Sylvan Lake recently
and announced her intention to take a run at securing a Canadian spot in
the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She recounted her 15 years of triumphs and
tribulations on the long skeleton World Cup circuit and three Olympics.
She won a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics and came in a
disappointing fifth in Vancouver but still captured the heart of the
nation. She also won the 2009-10 World Cup championship.
Apr. 17, 2010
Local
Wetland a Major Migratory Bird Pit Stop
A 164-acre marshy wetland, known as Slack's Slough, is a major pit stop
for white tundra swans this time of year on their 3,700-km journey from
Central California to their spring breeding ground in the Northwest
Territories. The marsh, located 3 km south of Red Deer and immediately
south of Gasoline Alley and east of busy Highway 2, is an exceptional
viewing area for other migratory waterfowl and up to 100 winged species
including mallards, grebes and red-tailed hawks. The slough is also home
to a large variety of other wildlife and vegetation, much of which can
be seen from a raised viewing platform. It's such an important natural
resource that Highway 2 was constructed around it rather than through
it. It was privately owned by the Slack family until 1979 when it was
purchased by the provincial government and has been managed by the
non-profit Alberta Conservation Association since 1997.
Apr. 16, 2010
Sod Turns for Lacombe
Athletic Park
The first phase of the $3 million regional MEGlobal Athletic Park and
Encana Field House next to the Lacombe Composite High School got
underway today. The field house is expected to be ready by mid-August
and the field lighting and bleachers should be ready by fall.
Installation of the rubber track and artificial turf are slated for
2011.
New Gaetz Lakes Bird Blind Nears Completion
Construction of the new $160,000 waterfowl viewing blind at the Gaetz
Lakes Sanctuary is nearing completion. The environmentally low-impact
structure replaces a smaller blind that had been deemed unsafe due to
its shifting foundation. The new blind enables viewers to get farther
out above the water without disturbing the waterfowl.
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